Curse
by kitty-kat12
Summary: Set after "Self Possesed"-Rogue seeks comfort with the Brotherhood and in the process discovers that she has gained new powers that will either save the world or worse destroy it
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER: NOTIHNG BELONGS TO ME SO DON'T SUE.  
  
A/N: OKAY, SO I'M BORED AND HAVE NOTHING TO DO AND I MISSED X MEN TODAY SO I DECIDED TO WRITE SOMETHING ABOUT ROGUE. I'VE WANTED TO WRITE ABOUT HER FOR A LONG TIME. WELL, ACTUALLY SINCE "SELF POSSESSED". THIS STORY STARTS OFF FROM THAT EPISODE. I'LL EXPLAIN IT LATER IN THE NEXT CHAPTERS. ANYWAY, THIS IS MY FIRST X MEN STORY EVER SO BE NICE. IT WILL PROBABLY BE A REITRO OR LANCE/ROGUE PAIRING. I HAVENT DECIDED YET. ANYWAY REVIEWS AND ENJOY.  
  
***  
  
Rogue sighed as she wiped a trickle of sweat off her forehead. She cursed as she stumbled on a rock. "I hate this." She grumbled. She had been walking for at least half an hour in the blazing heat and she didn't even know where she was going. She knew that she just needed to get away from everyone.  
  
From Scott and Jean who were sickly sweet to each other.  
  
From Kurt who kept referring to her as "big sis" despite the knowledge that Mystique had adopted her therefore making her and Kurt only adoptively related.  
  
From Kitty and Evan and the rest of them who kept asking if she was okay, if she needed something because she looked pale, because she look like she was about to pass out.  
  
From the professor who seemed to want answers from her.  
  
Answers that she didn't have.  
  
She looked up and saw the Brotherhood house that was practically falling apart. She saw the TV fly out the window and heard Lance yell something about being irresponsible and Mystique killing them for trashing her house.  
  
She took a deep breath, walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell.  
  
"Who the hell is it?" Lance screeched from presumably the top of the stairs.  
  
The door flung open and Pietro stood in front of her, a stunned expression on his face with was a cross between shock and a slight hint of fear.  
  
"Hi." Rogue managed to muster up. She felt incredibly stupid for not having a valid excuse for being there.  
  
He stammered for a bit then yelled at the guys. "Roguey's home!" He bellowed leading her in, a smile plastered on his face.  
  
She nodded as everyone ran towards her to greet her.  
  
"Hey, good to see ya, Roguey!" Blob said from the top of the stairs.  
  
"How are they treating you over at the x geeks?" Lance asked as he walked around the room, picking up the mess on the floor. She shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"You come to live with us, Roguey?" Todd asked.  
  
"I don't know." Rogue answered.  
  
"Ok." Pietro said. "Well, there's leftover pizza, if you want some." He said, frowning at the stale bread. "Never mind." He mumbled.  
  
"So..............." Blob said and the whole room fell into an uneasy silence.  
  
"I should go." Rogue said hastily.  
  
"No! No! Stay!" Everyone said, protesting.  
  
"Okay. I just don't want to bother you but I can't go back to the mansion."  
  
"Did they hurt you?" Lance asked angrily.  
  
"No. They're just acting all nice and asking if I'm alright all the time." She replied. "Being all careful around me."  
  
"Oh, the whole pity treatment." Pietro said and Rogue nodded, glad that someone understood.  
  
Ever since she lost control of her powers and shifted back and forth to the people she touched and destroyed half of Bayville and almost all her friends, nothing has been the same.  
  
She felt paranoid, insane, and delusional. She felt so out of touch with reality that she wanted to tear herself into pieces and just die on the bed that the professor, backed up with Logan and Storm, insisted she sleep in for at least a few weeks to heal herself.  
  
"So, since you're here, you want to help us clean up or something because Mystique just might walk in anytime and see this place a mess." Lance asked.  
  
"And kill all of you for trashing her house." She smiled, slightly wincing at the mention of her mother's name, as she got up. "Ok, let's clean up." She said clapping her hands together, watching them spread out.  
  
Rogue smiled as she picked up the dirty laundry on the floor, grateful for the Brotherhood for treating her like usual, like she wasn't a fragile porcelain doll that just might fall off the shelf and break anytime.  
  
"This place could look nice if you just changed the paint and added nice furniture." She whispered to herself as she stared at the torn out wall with the peeling wallpaper. The wall started to shift, the wallpaper began to disappear and new beige paint appeared.  
  
"Holy Shit!" Todd yelled, startling her.  
  
"What happened?" Lance asked.  
  
"Roguey, she.....she...holy...did anybody see that?" He asked loudly, stuttering in pure shock.  
  
Rogue backed away, her hand to her mouth, also in shock. "I did that?" She said to herself as she looked back at the tattered wall.  
  
"Did what?" Blob asked as he munched on the bag of chips that he found in the corner.  
  
"Do it again! Show them!" Todd asked excitedly.  
  
"Do what again! Todd, what are you talking about?" Lance demanded, getting slightly peeved.  
  
"She changed the wall. How the hell did you do that?" Todd asked, his eyes wide, his curiosity so obvious to everyone else who unfortunately thought he finally lost it.  
  
"Just do what you did before." Todd urged and Rogue nodded hesitantly as she turned to face the wall. She stared at it for a few minutes, waiting for it to do its thing.  
  
But nothing.  
  
"Okay then." Lance said walking away.  
  
"I don't understand. I saw it. Roguey?" Todd said.  
  
She shrugged her shoulders, feeling more confused than ever.  
  
"Hey, it'll come back to you. Whatever it is." Pietro said, touching her shoulder.  
  
Rogue shrugged his hand off as she stepped closer to the wall, her annoyance growing from the fact that she couldn't do what Todd wanted her to do.  
  
She saw it. She knew something happened before. The wall changed, just like she wanted it to. She didn't care how or why. She just wanted to do it again.  
  
She pressed her bare hand on the wall, shutting her eyes to shut them out, to concentrate on her thoughts.  
  
Change dammit! She mentally yelled at the wall. She felt her hand tremble, followed by the gasps from the guys behind her.  
  
"I knew it!" Todd yelped happily.  
  
She forced herself to open her eyes, to see what she had done to cause such uproar. She gasped, stepping back, amazed at what she had created. The once bleak, tattered shabby wall was now restored, beige paint with wooden borders and all.  
  
"How did you-"  
  
"I don't know." She replied, a smile creeping on her face. "That was amazing." She said grinning at her wondrous discovery.  
  
"Guys and girl don't just stand here all day. We have to-" Lance said but he cut himself off when he realized that the whole room looked completely different except for the mess on the floor.  
  
"She did it." Blob said proudly, pointing a chubby finger at Rogue who smiled hesitantly.  
  
"You have new powers?" He asked.  
  
"No. Yes. I don't know." She replied. "I....I don't understand." She said looking at her bare hands which were now trembling.  
  
Lance smiled and hugged her. "Maybe it's from your power surge last month." He said proudly. "I don't really care. But your new power is great since it pretty much fixed the walls." He smiled.  
  
"Do you think you can't fix the bathroom?" Pietro asked with a sly grin.  
  
"No, way in hell, Pietro. No way in hell." She smiled as she proceeded to the kitchen.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
The professor looked out the window, his face grim and deep in thought.  
  
"She's becoming more powerful." He said to Storm who was standing by the door. "I can sense it."  
  
"What do we do?" She asked.  
  
"We have to control her. She might lose control. This is what I feared." He whispered.  
  
"Magneto will want her." Storm declared.  
  
"Yes, and so will every other mutant who wants to take over this world." Xavier said grimly, fear reflected on his eyes. "Or worse, destroy it." 


	2. chapter two

A/N: HERE'S CHAPTER TWO. IM GLAD PEOPLE LIKE THIS. I WASN'T SO SURE ABOUT IT. I KNOW THAT ROGUE'S POWERS AREN'T SO BELIEVABLE BUT HOPEFULLY THIS CHAPTER WILL EXPLAIN IT. HOPEFULLY. ANYWAY, THANKS FOR THE TONS OF REVIEWS AND KEEP ON REVIEWING. ASK QUESTIONS; ADD WHAT YOU THINK WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN NEXT, WHO SHOULD BE WITH WHO, WHATEVER. I LIKE TO PUT PEOPLE'S SUGGESTIONS INTO THE STORY, SO GIVE ME SOME. ANYWAY, ENJOY. AND MORE REVIEWS.  
  
DISCLAIMER: NOTHING STILL BELONGS TO ME.  
  
~*~  
  
Rogue crossed her arm as she looked at Xavier defiantly.  
  
"Professor, I'm not doing anything wrong." She insisted as she glared at him then at Jean and Scott who were standing behind him.  
  
She was royally pissed about being reprimanded for going to the Brotherhood house. She had just gotten home and was immediately asked to go to Xavier's office. Now here she was standing in front of what to her mind seemed like a kangaroo court.  
  
The Brotherhood were her friends. She had every right to spend time with them.  
  
Why was it such a big deal?  
  
Why the hell are they here anyway? She thought bitterly.  
  
Jean frowned as if reading her mind.  
  
"We have to be careful, Rogue. We know that your new powers are developing rapidly." The professor explained as he wheeled forward.  
  
"How do you know?" She demanded.  
  
"Cerebro picked up your readings. It's messing the system up. Cerebro believes that you're a new mutant but you're not. Your powers are what's new." He explained, looking deep in thought.  
  
"What exactly are your new powers?" Jean asked and Rogue did nothing to answer her. Right now, she had a grudge on the girl. So, maybe she was being slightly unreasonable for disliking Ms. Perfect but she couldn't help it.  
  
Rogue liked Scott. It was obvious to anyone who paid enough attention and Jean had to string him along. She had Duncan but she wanted Scott as well who was now obviously hers.  
  
Thanks for sharing, Rogue thought resentfully.  
  
"Why don't you show us, Rogue?" Scott urged, siding with Jean again.  
  
As usual, Rogue thought.  
  
"I don't want to." She determinedly responded, feeling like a child.  
  
"Go ahead Rogue, show us. We need to know." The professor declared.  
  
"Does everybody have to know?" She asked, specifically glaring at Scott and Jean.  
  
The professor nodded and she gave out an exasperated sigh. "Fine." She mumbled. She hastily grabbed a vase, concentrated and morphed the object into a living bird.  
  
Jean gasped as if afraid. Scott frowned and Xavier nodded for no particular reason.  
  
"I don't know what caused it." Rogue said quietly. She didn't know that she could turn objects into living beings. She knew she could change the appearance of things but to actually create something living from her bare hands was amazing.  
  
And it frightened her.  
  
"When you touched Risty or Mystique to be exact, at the concert, you transferred almost all of her powers into you. We've seen that you are capable of using her powers. It appears that inside you, her morphing abilities have evolved and now, by just touching, you can change objects into anything, living or not." The professor explained.  
  
"So basically, I have my mother's powers?" She asked and Xavier nodded.  
  
"And I can use it both ways?"  
  
The professor nodded again.  
  
"I can change objects but I can also change myself?" She continued.  
  
"If you concentrate hard enough, you can. You'll need to control your powers, Rogue. They could become very dangerous." He said.  
  
"Okay, professor." Rogue answered, somewhat surprising them. "Can I go now?" She asked.  
  
"Yes, and remember that you have training in the danger room with Logan and myself later today." He said and she nodded as she walked away. "We want to know how developed your new powers are." He said grimly.  
  
The minute the door closed behind Rogue, Xavier turned to Scott and Jean.  
  
"I want you to look out for her. See if there are any changes. We have to be careful." He instructed.  
  
Scott nodded grimly, the predictable I'm-doing-this-for-the-sake-of-my-team look on his face.  
  
"We'll keep an eye on her professor." He said grimly.  
  
"How powerful can she become, exactly?" Jean asked. She didn't like this. It was scaring her and she could see that it scared Rogue too.  
  
"More powerful than any other mutant out there." Xavier replied darkly. "Her powers are unlimited. I'm not certain yet but I believe that she is capable to turn into anyone she wants when the time comes and she will be fully equipped with that mutant's power."  
  
"She could kill us." Jean gasped.  
  
"Yes, she could, if she sided with the enemy." Xavier whispered.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
~Late that day in the danger room~  
  
  
  
"I don't understand why I'm blindfolded." Rogue said irately as she stood, ready to attack anything in her way. Unfortunately, she couldn't see anything which was to her disadvantage.  
  
"I'm testing out a theory. Just go along. I need you to concentrate." Xavier said over the intercom.  
  
"But I don't have my gloves on. I could hurt, Logan." She insisted.  
  
"Logan can take care of himself, Rogue. Just concentrate." He said.  
  
"Concentrate. Okay." She whispered to herself as she tried to listen to her surroundings.  
  
She could hear Logan breathing, or growling to be exact. He was somewhere in the room, circling her probably.  
  
She heard him leap off the ground and she ducked making herself stumble. "Shit!" She hissed, feeling the pain in her knees. She could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up as she sensed Logan coming towards her, attacking.  
  
She screamed, raised her hand in front of her as if to protect herself from the inevitable impact and she waited.  
  
Then nothing.  
  
Silence surrounded her and she waited but still nothing. Her hand was still up and she was still blindfolded.  
  
What was going on?  
  
She heard a groan, very close to her. It didn't seem human. She hastily removed her blindfold and saw that in front of her, just a few feet away, Logan was hung midair, his arms to his sides, straining from the pain.  
  
"Let me down!" He hissed.  
  
Rogue stood up abruptly and on cue, Logan fell to the ground.  
  
"What the hell was that?" Rogue asked before Logan could muster up anything.  
  
"Magneto." Logan grumbled, rubbing his skin where his adamantium claws come out.  
  
"What?" She asked, slightly alarmed.  
  
"You have Magneto's powers." He growled as he walked passed her.  
  
"I don't understand." Rogue said looking at her hands, feeling very frightened of herself.  
  
"Rogue, come up. You too, Logan." The professor called and she hurriedly ran to the control room above the danger room.  
  
The door slid open and she met the professor who was waiting for her; Logan beside him.  
  
"You said, she has Magneto's powers?" Xavier asked Logan who nodded and growled at the same time.  
  
"Yes, I could feel it. It was like she was controlling me from the metal that ran inside me." He replied.  
  
Rogue looked from Logan to Xavier, more confused that she was before.  
  
"I suspected this." Xavier whispered hoarsely.  
  
"Suspected what? Can somebody tell me what's going on?" Rogue demanded fearfully.  
  
"You have Magneto's power. And I'm afraid to say, that you may also have every power of all the mutants that you absorbed." He explained.  
  
"But I thought I had Mystique's powers." Rogue said.  
  
"Your mother's power is the most dominant inside you but unfortunately you are also capable of conjuring up other powers. Like Magneto's for example." He said. "You absorbed him more than once. His is presumably the second strongest."  
  
"This is bad, isn't it professor?" She asked. She could see that hew as troubled by their new discovery.  
  
"Not necessarily." He replied. "If you control your powers and put it to good use, then it's a good thing."  
  
"Good use how?" She asked.  
  
"Help fight the enemy. You are basically indestructible." He said, somewhat regretting that he just told her that she had just become the most powerful mutant alive.  
  
"So you're saying I'm invincible." She said bleakly.  
  
"That what he said." Logan piped in.  
  
"Okay." Rogue whispered, trying to process the information in her mind. "I'm going to go rest now." She muttered as she walked away.  
  
Nothing made sense. Her mind was a jumble.  
  
"I can morph into anyone and transform anyone into anything and vice versa. I have Magneto's power and everyone's that I touched. How is that possible?" She asked aloud, giving herself a headache.  
  
"Hey, sis." Kurt said teleporting right in front of her.  
  
"Kurt, go away. I'm not in the mood for a brother-sister bonding right now." She said icily. She needed to think and Kurt was invading her space.  
  
"How was training?" He asked as he walked beside her.  
  
"Fine."  
  
"I heard you got some new killer powers." He grinned and she turned her head and glared at him.  
  
"Killer powers?" She repeated, narrowing her eyes at him.  
  
"Yup. That's what I heard. Everyone's talking about it." Kurt continued.  
  
"Great. They're talking about me behind my back." She mumbled hotly.  
  
Killer powers my ass. I'll show them killer, she thought furiously, curling her fists into a ball.  
  
Kurt backed away immediately, a frightened look pasted all over his face.  
  
"What!" She hissed.  
  
"Your....your hands are on fire." He said as he pointed a shaky finger at her fists.  
  
Rogue looked down. True to his word, her hands were on fire. But the flame quickly died away and she put her hands back to her side, feeling paranoia creep up on her. She looked at Kurt, the boy who was supposed to be her brother and she could see that he was afraid of her.  
  
Not afraid that she might lose her temper and pound his face with her fists.  
  
No. He was really afraid.  
  
Afraid that the "killer" switch in her brain would turn on and she would become psychotic and kill him.  
  
She looked away, feeling betrayed.  
  
He thinks I'll kill him, she thought sadly.  
  
She looked back at him, her eyes watery; the tears threatening to fall and betray her.  
  
"Don't worry, Kurt. I haven't turned evil enough to kill my own family." She whispered firmly, her voice filled with so much sadness that Kurt wanted to step forward and hug her and apologize for even thinking that his "big sis" would ever hurt him.  
  
But he didn't because as much as he hated to admit it, he was afraid of her. He saw so much anger in her eyes.  
  
With that said, she stormed off, fuming and wounded.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Rogue slammed the door to her room and screamed as loudly as she could into her pillow, muffling her voice. She sat up on her bed, heaving, her eyes filled with tears.  
  
"I hate this!" She screamed again.  
  
It had been a rough day. She felt like she was in an emotional roller coaster and right now she was falling and she couldn't quite catch her breath.  
  
She had a long day.  
  
It was tiring, exhausting, confusing and it was driving her insane.  
  
It was bad enough that she was feeling overly jealous of Jean and Scott and irritated at her team mates for being so cautious with her but to find out that she had just literally become a super mutant in one day was too much to handle.  
  
She could see that the professor didn't trust her new powers. Didn't trust *her* to control them.  
  
Then Logan was annoyed with her during the danger room session for some unknown reason but seeing her brother-*her brother*-so afraid of her was what did it.  
  
It was the last shove the made her fall off the cliff.  
  
Rogue groaned, angry with herself and Kurt and anyone else she could think of. She wiped the tears from her face stubbornly with the back of her hand, hastily getting up. She pulled open her closet, grabbed a duffel bag and shoved any piece of clothing she could fit inside.  
  
She looked at herself in the mirror as she walked into the bathroom and saw that her make up was streaked and she had black smudges around her eyes and down her cheeks.  
  
I look like a monster, she thought bitterly.  
  
"That because you are one." Rogue mumbled to herself as she turned the tap on and splashed some water on her face.  
  
She grabbed a towel, dried her face and hurriedly changed into something other than her uniform.  
  
"I won't be needing that." She said defiantly as she threw her X-men uniform on her perfectly made bed.  
  
She pulled a tank top over her, followed by a mesh shirt. She hastily combed back her streaked hair and grabbed the duffel back, ready to walk out.  
  
A knock interrupted her.  
  
"Who is it?" She asked.  
  
"It's me, Kitty!" The other girl said giddily.  
  
Rogue groaned, throwing the duffel bag behind her bed.  
  
"Perfect timing, Kitty. Perfect timing." She said as she opened the door. "What do you want?" She asked rudely.  
  
Kitty slightly frowned at her. "You look different." She said.  
  
Rogue scowled. "Thank you so much for coming all the way here and taking a few minutes out of your time just to tell me that." She said sarcastically.  
  
"I didn't say you looked ugly. I said different. You have no make up on." Kitty explained.  
  
"Oh." Rogue said, remembering that she forgot to reapply after washing her face.  
  
"You look really pretty. Too bad you cover it up with all that makeup." Kitty declared, slightly smiling.  
  
"Thanks, I think. So, what did you want?" Rogue demanded, getting impatient.  
  
"Oh, a bunch of us are going out for pizza. I thought you might want to join us." Kitty replied.  
  
Rogue smiled slightly. "No, thanks. I'll take a rain check." She replied.  
  
"Okay, Rogue. But if you change your mind, call my cell okay." Kitty said as she happily bounced away.  
  
"Bye." Rogue whispered as she closed the door behind her.  
  
She felt somewhat terrible for not telling Kitty, for not saying a proper good bye. Out of all of them, except for Kurt of course, Kitty was probably the only one who went out of her way to include Rogue.  
  
She sighed, realizing that this was what she wanted. What she needed.  
  
She took a quick glance in the mirror and saw a girl that looked nothing like the one everyone saw. Kitty was right. She was pretty.  
  
Beautiful even.  
  
"Too bad no one noticed." Rogue whispered as she grabbed her duffel bag and made a quick exit down her balcony.  
  
She looked bad at the mansion the minute she was outside the gates and said good bye to the people she once called her family.  
  
She was going to miss some of them. Only some.  
  
Hopefully, they'd understand, Rogue thought to herself as she walked towards the road that would lead her to the Brotherhood house.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: IN CASE NO ONE STILL UNDERSTANDS ROGUE'S POWERS IT'S BASICALLY THIS: SHE CAN CHANGE INTO ANYHING OR ANYONE LIKE MYSTIQUE BUT THE SIDE EFFECT IS THAT SHE CAN REVERSE IT. IN OTHER WORDS, SHE CHANGES THINGS BY TOUCHING THEM. THAT EXPLAINS THE WALL CHANGING THING AT THE BoM HOUSE. AND THE PART ABOUT MAGNETO AND HER HANDS FLAMING, WELL THAT CAME FROM "SELF POSESSED". THE POWERS THAT SHE ABSORBED STAYED WITH HER AND NOW SHE CAN USE THEM.  
  
ANYWAY, HOPEFULLY THIS MAKES SENSE.  
  
THANKS FOR READING. SORRY ITS LONG. 


	3. chapter three

A/N: HERE'S THE THIRD CHAPTER. WOW, YOU GUYS REVIEWS FAST. GOOD STUFF. THE FASTER YOU REVIEW, THE FASTER I WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER AND POST IT UP. ANYWAY, IM TAKING A VOTE AND ILL PROBABLY INCLUDE THE MOST VOTES IN THE FIC. ANYWAY, HERE IT IS:  
  
PAIRS: ROGUE/PIETRO, ROGUE/SCOTT, ROGUE/REMY, ROGUE/LANCE..I'M LEANING TOWARDS REITRO SINCE A LOT OF YOU SUGGESTED THAT AND I AGREE...ILL THINK ABOUT THE ROGUE/REMY PAIRING AND THE OTHER TOO...JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK.  
  
ANTI XAVIER OR NOT?-IM THINKING YES.  
  
SHOULD ROGUE BECOME EVIL OR NOT?-IM THINKING YES.  
  
ANYWAY, TELL ME WHAT YOUT HINK AND ILL TRY TO PUT YOUR IDEAS AS MUCH AS I CAN.  
  
~*~  
  
Rogue sat quietly, half listening to Pietro, Todd and Blob arguing with each other. She was deep in thought as she stared at the beat up coffee table in front of her.  
  
"So, you're staying with us for good?" Lance asked, interrupting her trance as he sat across from her, flopping his feet on the coffee table.  
  
"I guess so." She replied.  
  
"Well, you can stay as long as you want, Roguey." He offered and she gave him a small grateful smile.  
  
"So, you want anything to eat?" He asked.  
  
She shook her head, slightly frowning at the rest of her friends who were still in the middle of their pointless argument. "They're loud." She said.  
  
"Yeah. You get used to it." Lance said, smiling apologetically. They sat in silence despite the noise behind them and after while, after noticing that Rogue looked pissed, he turned and yelled for all of them to shut up.  
  
"Sorry." Todd mumbled as he sat down.  
  
"Yeah." Blob said.  
  
"Me too." Pietro piped in. "So, what's up Rogue? You joining the Brotherhood or what?" He asked as he sat next to her but far enough not to touch her skin.  
  
"I'm not joining anyone." She replied not meaning to be rude.  
  
"Oh, too bad. We could use your help." Todd interjected.  
  
"Yeah." Lance agreed.  
  
"So, what do you say? We could be the Brotherhood of Mutants plus a Sister." Pietro joked.  
  
"I'll think about it." She replied not acknowledging that she heard his joke much less understand it.  
  
"Hey, yo, what made you come back to us anyway?" Todd asked bluntly. "Did they kick you out or what?"  
  
"Long story." She said hastily.  
  
"Well, we got time since Lance threw the T.V. out the window." Todd explained, giving Lance a look.  
  
"It was broken and useless." He retorted.  
  
"I could have fixed it." Todd argued.  
  
"Right. You can't even take a shower." Lance said sarcastically.  
  
"Shut up!" Todd yelled.  
  
"I'm going to go upstairs." Rogue interrupted as she hurriedly stood up and walked to Mystique's old room. She wasn't in the mood to listen to them argue, or to even sit in the same room where people were. She just wanted to be alone. Think things through. Maybe make sense of her chaotic situation.  
  
"Look what you did!" Pietro declared angrily.  
  
"I didn't do anything!" Todd yelled back.  
  
"Shut up!'  
  
"No you shut up!"  
  
Rogue kept on walking, their arguing beginning to fade as she climbed up the stairs. She reached her mother's old room, pushed it open and closed it behind her. She let out a deep sigh as she threw her duffel bag on the side and sat on the neatly made bed.  
  
Mystique was a neat freak. Despite the shambled condition of the house, this was literally the only room that was organized and clean.  
  
She laid on the bed, wanting sleep to claim her, wanting her headache to disappear. She felt strangely weak and hot; probably from the very long day that she had. She had walked twice already, plus the danger room session. It was enough to make someone exhausted.  
  
She shifted, making herself more comfortable and kicking her shoes off. Her back was hurting her and she was sure that a large bruise had appeared on her knees from tripping during her session with Xavier and Logan but right now she didn't care. She just wanted to close her eyes and sleep, and maybe forget about what was happening to her.  
  
Tomorrow, she'd decided whether she'll leave Bayville for good.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
~Next Day~  
  
Rogue woke up, feeling out of breath. She had a bad dream, a night mare to be exact. She sat up on the bed, kicking the covers aside as she tried to remember what it was about.  
  
Nothing came. It was unnerving to dream something, to know it and yet not remembering a single thing about it.  
  
She got up, grabbed a towel and hurriedly took a shower. A few minutes later, Rogue stepped out of the bathroom, grumbling about the guys not having hot water. She shivered as her foot touched the relatively cool tiles.  
  
She glanced at her reflection in the mirror as she walked back to her room. Suddenly, a seering pain engulfed her chest and she groaned, kneeling on the carpeted floor, one hand on her chest and another holding her up. She whimpered, not able to take the pain that was making her weak.  
  
"Oh, god." She gasped.  
  
Her small delicate hands began to change into large muscular rough hands.  
  
"No, no!" She whispered, almost pleadingly. She could feel her skin stretching, hair growing on her arms, the muscles on her legs. She was turning into Sabertooth. Rogue clenched her fits, shutting her eyes tightly, begging herself to turn back before anything else goes wrong.  
  
A few minutes later, still drenching from her bath, she turned back, breathless and in pain. Rogue groaned as she stood up, feeling the muscles on her legs tense.  
  
"Great." She grumbled numbly, realizing that morphing had now become painful for her. She sat down on the bed, not caring that her towel was wet. She needed air, needed to regain her balance again.  
  
Painkillers, maybe.  
  
Something.  
  
Anything to make her feel okay. She felt like she was ready to pass out.  
  
She took a deep sigh, stood up and walked over to her duffel bag and started changing. She let down the towel that wrapped her hair and almost screamed.  
  
"Holy shit." She said as she touched the long dark streaked tresses that hung to the small of her back. She ran to the mirror and saw that her hair had literally grown three times its length in less than ten minutes. Rogue looked at her reflection, ready to cry at the disaster that she had become in the small time frame of two days.  
  
She hurriedly dried her hair, uncomfortably brushed it and decided to put some light make up on.  
  
"Since, I already look nothing like me; I might as well go for the total make over." She grumbled as she grabbed her shoes and hastily put them on. She glanced back at the mirror, slightly please with herself but hesitant on the new look.  
  
She hurried downstairs. "I'm going to school. See you, later!" She yelled, not wanting them to see her.  
  
"We're going too! Wait up!" Lance yelled from the kitchen. "I'm driving!"  
  
"Great. They decide to come to school today." She mumbled as she restlessly waited for them by the door.  
  
Todd, Pietro, Lance and Blob stopped dead in their tracks and gawked at her.  
  
"Okay, so I look horrible. You don't have to rub it in by looking at me like I'm a total freak." She said grudgingly.  
  
"Is it me or did your hair grow....really long?" Lance ask looking at her now long dark auburn hair with the trademark white bangs as if trying to figure how it happened.  
  
"You're not wearing make up." Pietro said, staring at her face, making her blush.  
  
"You look hot!" Todd exclaimed, speaking for all of them, getting a small embarrassed smile from Rogue.  
  
"Yeah." Lance, Pietro and Blob said in unison still looking at her.  
  
"Thanks." She mumbled, darting out, not wanting to be stared at anymore.  
  
"So, Roguey, now that you're living with us, have you ever thought of dating one of us, say me?" Todd asked as they drove to Bayville High, leaning close to her.  
  
Rogue pulled away, giving him a slightly disgusted look.  
  
"Not really." She said dryly. "Geez, guys, just because I don't have all that cover-up doesn't' mean I'm a completely different person." She said exasperatedly.  
  
"Well, we know you're not but we're just surprised because we didn't know that underneath all that make up was someone "hot" as Todd would say." Pietro explained.  
  
"Thanks, I think." She said looking away. It was flattering to get this much attention from the Brotherhood who were practically her older brothers. Who knew that people would think she was this *hot*.  
  
Rogue hastily leapt out of the car the minute they reached the school parking lot, waving at them as she ran to the school reminding them that she'll see them later.  
  
Rogue ducked away, hugging herself tighter as she walked to her locker. People were looking at her, whispering. Some of the guys even dared to whistle.  
  
"So, you new here?" Duncan, also known as Jean's former jock ex boyfriend asked as he stood close to her-*too close* while she tried to open her locker.  
  
She groaned, frustrated that the damn thing wouldn't open and Duncan wouldn't leave her alone already.  
  
"Here, let me do it." He offered, punching it with ease and as expected, it opened.  
  
"Thanks." She said as she moved away from him and closer to her locker, pretending to look for something.  
  
"So, you're new at Bayville or what because I'd be happy to show you around." He grinned, a very masculine and strangely appealing grin.  
  
She shook her head, accidentally spilling her hair on her eyes and Duncan instantly moved his hand and pulled it back, touching her forehead with his finger.  
  
Rogue gasped, backing away, afraid that she had just absorbed him. But Duncan was still standing in front of her, unharmed despite the physically contact and still grinning.  
  
"Easy there, pretty girl. I'm not going to hurt you." He said with a small chuckle. "I'm Duncan by the way."  
  
"I know who you are. You're the all star everything-football, soccer, baseball-should I go on?" She said, raising a perfect, delicate eyebrow at him.  
  
"You're cute. Here's my number." He said as he scribbled down his digits on her arm. "I'll see ya around, pretty girl." He said as he walked back to his friends who applauded him.  
  
Rogue glared at him as he walked away, annoyed that Jean's ex had just flirted with her and yet flattered, that the captain of the football team was interested in her--the nobody that couldn't compare to Jean before.  
  
She hastily pushed the thought of Duncan away as she tried to concentrate on what just happened, or what didn't happen to be exact.  
  
He had touched her, his skin was pressed on her and nothing happened. She didn't absorb him. She took a deep breath, trying to think whether she should take this a good thing or not.  
  
What the hell was going on with her?  
  
Rogue looked around, feeling panic creep up on her. She needed answers. She hurriedly grabbed her books, slammed her locker shut and almost ran right into Kitty and Scott.  
  
"Sorry." Rogue said as she helped Kitty up who actually fell.  
  
"It's okay Ro--" Scott said as he picked up his books.  
  
"Rogue? Like oh my gosh!" Kitty squealed, interrupting Scott as she looked over her newly done friend. "You look so like great! And your hair grew like wow! How'd you do it? Where have you been? I've been like so worried about you when you weren't in your room. I thought you like snuck out or something but I didn't tell the prof because I knew you were having a rough day and I didn't want you to get in trouble." Kitty asked rapidly in what seemed like one sentence to Rogue.  
  
Apparently, Scott missed everything that Kitty just blurted out and asked, "Where have you been? I thought Jean and I could give you a ride to school. Did you go early or something?" He was looking at her curiously, more like staring, giving her shivers.  
  
Rogue narrowed her eyes at him. He didn't even notice that she was gone. No one noticed except for Kitty who just thought that she snuck out later than she was allowed.  
  
"Or something." She muttered, anger growing inside her.  
  
"I didn't recognize you. Did you do something with your hair?" He asked densely.  
  
Rogue glared at him and groaned, annoyed that he could be that clueless and dense and so inattentive.  
  
"Whatever." She said as she walked away.  
  
"Okay, what's with her?" Scott asked.  
  
"What's with who?" Jean piped in as she met up with Kitty and Scott.  
  
"Like you two wouldn't know." Kitty mumbled as she walked away.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Rogue took a deep shaky breath as she tried to regain her composure. No one noticed.  
  
No one.  
  
It hurt to think that not a single one of her so called friends and team mates even noticed that she had packed her things and left.  
  
She had at least expected that someone noticed, Kurt maybe since he was always popping up everywhere. But no, not even him. She fought back the tears as she pushed her hurt away.  
  
"I'm this insignificant to them." She bitterly whispered to herself as the realization dawned to her that no one really truly paid attention to her. She had at least expected them to worry, to ask where the hell she has been and maybe even get yelled at by good old leader Scott. But no.  
  
No one cared.  
  
Not even her brother.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"So, have you guys seen the new girl? I heard she's totally to die for." Evan said excitedly as he sat next to Kurt and Kitty in the usual table with Scott and Jean on the opposite side.  
  
"Nope, but I heard Duncan Matthews wants her." Kurt replied as he took a big bite off of his sandwich.  
  
"Duncan?" Jean echoed; her attention finally caught.  
  
"Yeah, you know your ex-boyfriend. Anyway, the *new girl* isn't new. It's just R-" Kitty tried to explain but Evan cut her off.  
  
"There she is." He said out loud. "Is that-?"  
  
"My sister!"  
  
"Rogue?" Jean asked aloud, turning to the direction where all the male students seemed to be staring.  
  
"Yup. I tried to tell you." Kitty said, finally giving up. "She got a make over." Kitty declared proudly as if the fact wasn't new to her.  
  
Jean watched in obvious envy as Duncan waved for her attention, beckoning Rogue to join him and his football buddies for lunch.  
  
"Hey, Rogue!" Evan called, also trying to get her attention.  
  
She took a kick glance at their direction, looked away and proceeded to join Duncan.  
  
Rogue proudly sat next to Duncan, his arm instantly going around her waist pulling her closer to him.  
  
"You know them?" He asked, looking over at where her friends were sitting.  
  
"Yeah. You used to date Jean, remember?" She said pointedly, smiling hesitantly at him.  
  
"Oh, old news. She's into Summers anyway." Duncan replied brushing it off quickly.  
  
Rogue nodded, looking at her former friends, triumph written all over her face.  
  
What better way to show them that she's out, that she's no longer part of the so called circle of friends, their team?  
  
That she didn't need them?  
  
She could see the Scott was scowling, muttering something under his breath and Jean looked like she was shooting daggers from her eyes at Rogue.  
  
Kurt shook his head, obviously disappointed and confused with her sudden change of behavior. Evan just shrugged his shoulders and Kitty just smiled, understanding her need to show that she too could get any guy she wanted.  
  
"That's right. I don't need any of you." She whispered angrily, her anger boiling deep inside her.  
  
She'd think about why her powers were so out of whack later. For now, she was going to enjoy this.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: I KNOW THAT THIS CHAPTER SEEMS COMPLETELY POINTLESS BUT THERE'S A REASON FOR ALL THIS AND FOR ROGUE GOING WITH DUNCAN. I SWEAR IT WON'T BE THIS BORING ANYMORE. ILL GET BACK TO THE GOOD STUFF BUT THIS CHAPTER JUST LEADS TO MY POINT.  
  
SORRY IF IT'S BORING AND FOR THE INCREDIBLY LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE. 


	4. chapter four

A/N: THANKS FOR THE TONS OF REVIEWS. I GOT YOUR VOTES. RIGHT NOW, RIETRO IS LEADING. LOTS OF YOU WANT THAT BUT D.R.T. MADE THE BEST ARGUMENT OUT OF EVERYONE ELSE AND IT WAS VERY CONVINCING. SO IM THINKING IT'S BETWEEN REITRO AND ROLA. I'M TEMPTED TO MAKE IT INTO A ROGUE/REMY PAIRING BUT I DON'T KNOW THE CHARACTER WELL ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY DARE TO WRITE HIM INTO THE STORY. SORRY TO DISAPPOINT THOSE OF YOU WHO WANTED GAMBIT. HOPEFULLY I DON'T GET FLAMED. ANYWAY, HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER.  
  
OH, AND THANKS FOR ACTUALLY READING THE AUTHOR'S NOTE.  
  
~*~  
  
"Why are you with Duncan?" Scott demanded the minute he got the chance to corner Rogue.  
  
"What's it to you?" She asked, offended by his tone.  
  
"I don't like that guy. He's bad news." Scott declared firmly.  
  
"I don't care if you like him or not. It's my choice if I hang around him. Why does it matter to you anyway? It's not like Duncan's stealing Jean from you because in case you didn't notice, I'm not Jean. Never will be."  
  
Scott frowned at her, noticing the slight hint of bitterness in her voice. "Yeah, I noticed that." He said, giving her a quick overall look.  
  
"Look, Scott, what do you want? Why do you suddenly care? It's not like you ever paid attention to me before." She said irately.  
  
"I care, Rogue. As much as you think I don't, I do." He said, rather annoyed by her accusation.  
  
"Right." She said. "Does this have to do anything with my new look? Now that I look like this you suddenly care? Shows how superficial you are Scott." She said vehemently.  
  
"Rogue, listen to me. You don't know what you're doing."  
  
"Whatever." She said walking away. "I'm a big girl, Scott. I can take care of myself."  
  
"Right. We have training in the danger room. I expect to see you there." He said; his voice more commanding than Rogue appreciated.  
  
"Wrong again." She declared as she walked away without even an explanation.  
  
"That girl has serious problems." Jean muttered as she stood next to him, obviously hearing everything that went on between them.  
  
"We're not helping though." He said irately.  
  
Jean frowned, not liking his tone.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Rogue leaned against the stand as she waited for Duncan to come out of the locker room. The football game was over and as usual they had won. He had asked her to wait up for him outside while he changed.  
  
"Hey." He said, startling her a little.  
  
"Hey." She replied, giving him a small hesitant smile.  
  
"Ready to go?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah. Where are we going?"  
  
"To celebrate." He replied, grinning at her.  
  
"Good luck, man!" One of his teammates called out as they walked to his car.  
  
"What was that for?" She asked, looking back at the other guy who was winking and grinning at her like an idiot.  
  
"Oh, nothing." He said offhandedly.  
  
"Okay." She said as she got into the passenger's seat. She looked over at him, watching him enjoy the wind whipping on his face from the window. There was something off about him, something she didn't like. It was as if in every smile he gave away, something sinister was hidden; always a buried agenda with every compliment he said.  
  
Her subconscious was telling him to stay away from him. He was bad news like Scott said but she refused to listen.  
  
She didn't need Scott's little warning. Didn't need him or any of them to take care of her.  
  
Never did. Never will.  
  
They drove around for awhile, stopped by the local fast food joined where she spotted Kitty, Kurt, and Evan. Kitty gave her a worried look before they drove off.  
  
Duncan reached for his bag and pulled out something as they drove up a hill.  
  
"You want some?" He asked as he handed the bottle of vodka over to her.  
  
"No." She replied looking away.  
  
"What? You don't drink?" He asked in a rather surprised tone. He downed the vodka sloppily, spilling some on his chin and jacket.  
  
"No, actually, I don't." She said defiantly. No one, not even Duncan was going to make her want to drink.  
  
"Oh, come on. Just try it. It tastes great. Besides, we're supposed to be celebrating right?" He said as he pulled up to the edge of the cliff, looking over the whole of Bayville, even Xavier Institute.  
  
"Celebrating what exactly?" She asked as she folded her arms in front of her protectively.  
  
"Oh, lots of things. Me winning the game. Me getting asked by a scout to go pro next year. Me getting the prettiest girl in the whole school." He grinned leaning closer to her.  
  
Rogue backed away, frowning at him and at the smell of vodka in his breath. "I thought you already had her and then you lost her." She said narrowing her eyes at him.  
  
Duncan sat up straight; his face contorting into a scowl. "You mean Jean Grey? What's this got to do with her? Me and that girl are history. Besides, why is she spreading rumors? That girl is so damn uptight; I swear I don't know what I saw in her." He declared roughly, his voice low and dangerous.  
  
"She's not spreading rumors." Rogue corrected him.  
  
"Right, like she isn't. Ever since we broke up, girls have been giving me the nastiest look." He grumbled.  
  
"Maybe because they see that you're nothing without her." She whispered.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Nothing." She replied hastily, pasting a rather wide eyed, innocent smile on her face.  
  
"Right. Why don't you come here and I'll show you nothing." He said pulling her close to him, his grip forming a bruise on her arm.  
  
"Duncan, you're hurting me." She said trying to pull away from him.  
  
"I bet you like that." He chuckled as he started kissing her neck.  
  
"Duncan, I said no!" She said shoving him away from her and trying to get out of the car but he yanked her back inside and she screamed as she struggled from him,  
  
He pinned her beneath him, kissing her frantically, his hands roaming everywhere. Rogue fought him back, her smaller frame not withstanding the weight of his body.  
  
"Stop!" She yelled but he didn't hear her. He was too busy, too engrossed in whatever it was he was about to do.  
  
Something deadly snapped inside her as Duncan started ripping her shirt off. Her nail grew into claws, very much like the ones that Sabertooth had. She reached up and slashed him across the face, digging her nails into his skin.  
  
He cried out in agony as he stumbled away from her and out of the car on the ground.  
  
"You bitch!" He said touching the blood from his face. "You practically tore out my face!"  
  
Rogue said nothing as she walked up to him, grabbing him by his neck, his feet barely touching the ground. Her eyes glowed as she sneered at him, her hand keeping a tight grip around his neck.  
  
"You're one of those mutants I heard about! You're one of them freaks!" He managed to choke out as he fought for air.  
  
She growled. "That's right. I'm one of them. The difference between me and the rest of them *freaks* is I won't think twice about killing you." Her voice was low and dangerous. It sounded inhuman; a cross between Rogue and something sinister.  
  
She threw him on his car, his body slamming harshly on the ripped metal, the glass shattering around him.  
  
"Please, stop." He whimpered weakly as he tried to get up but Rogue couldn't hear him anymore or at least wouldn't listen to him.  
  
She was too far gone.  
  
Anger had taken over, something primal and deadly had replaced her.  
  
She grabbed him by the hair, almost ripping his scalp in the process. He whimpered in pain, struggling from her death grip. She dragged him off of his car, on the ground, the dust surrounding him as he kicked and screamed.  
  
She made him stand close to the edge, her hold keeping him from falling off.  
  
"When a girl says no she means it." She hissed; her voice calm and cool despite the uncontrollable rage inside her.  
  
She let go of him and he flailed his arms like a pitiful bird trying desperately to fly but before he could fall, he mange to get a good grip on her arm and pull her down with him, sending them both to their deaths.  
  
And Rogue screamed.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"Man, she doesn't look okay." Pietro worriedly whispered to Lance who also looked troubled.  
  
"She's okay. Bruised and scratched up but okay. I think she broke her rib from the fall." Lance replied quietly. They were both standing by Rogue's room both worried about her condition.  
  
Earlier tonight they had grown worried when she didn't show up home. They knew she was with Duncan and that made it even worse. They knew his reputation, knew what he did to unsuspecting girls.  
  
And luckily, they knew where he usually took them.  
  
When they reached the top of the hill and found Duncan's car practically ripped into shreds and the blood on the hood, they started to panic.  
  
Something had gone wrong.  
  
Very, very wrong.  
  
Two hours later, after a very long alarmed search for Rogue, they finally found her in the bottom, unconscious; Duncan's barely breathing body not too far away.  
  
No matter how scared they were, no matter how worried, they couldn't call the x men. They knew she wouldn't like it. They got to the point that they were scared enough to call their rivals but thank god they found her in time.  
  
Before anything else could happen.  
  
She could have died.  
  
When they found her, Pietro had lifted her frail body, barely weighing anything. She was covered in blood and all they could think of what caused this and whether she would make it.  
  
At least they found her in time.  
  
"Is she awake?" Pietro asked.  
  
Lance nodded grimly, sighing in frustration as he ran a shaky finger through his dark hair.  
  
"She's not talking to me." He said.  
  
"I'm going to go see her." Pietro declared and Lance stepped aside. Pietro pushed the door open, cautiously peering into the room. Rogue was lying on the bed, still in her bloodstained clothes which soaked right into her white bed sheets. She had her back to him as she laid in a fetal position, her eyes shut but not really sleeping. "Are you okay?" He asked quietly as he walked towards the chair next to her bed and sat down.  
  
No answer.  
  
"Rogue?"  
  
Still no answer.  
  
He let out a deep relieved sigh when he saw that she was breathing, barely but at least alive. He sat there for a long time, just looking at her try to sleep, her face red and blue from the scratches and bruises. They had found her in such a bad condition, her clothes in shreds and he wanted to ask her what happened, what Duncan did to her but he didn't. He didn't want to push it knowing that she wasn't okay right now.  
  
She needed time.  
  
"I killed him, didn't I?" He voice was so small and weak that he thought he didn't hear it at first but she was now looking at him, her eyes blood shot, waiting for him to answer her.  
  
"Roguey, you didn't kill him. You didn't kill anybody." He replied, swallowing the lump in his throat.  
  
"But I wanted to. I almost did." She said not moving an inch.  
  
Pietro looked at her, startled by her sudden revelation. "Because he hurt you?"  
  
"He tried." She said closing her eyes. "But I hurt him back and I wanted to kill him. I beat the crap out of him." She whispered.  
  
"He's okay. He's in the hospital. I don't think he'll say much." Pietro said reassuring her.  
  
She took a deep painful breath. "I don't care if he says anything or not. The fact is I tried to kill him. I would have. I didn't even think about it. I just kept on hurting him, and then I pushed him." She continued.  
  
"Rogue, it's okay. It wasn't your fault."  
  
"But it is. Don't you see? The professor had every reason to worry. He knew this was going to happen." She declared weakly. Pietro looked at her, as her wounds started to heal, and finally disappear. He didn't understand what was going on but he had the feeling that she was about to explain it to him.  
  
"What do mean?" He asked.  
  
"My powers evolved. I pretty much stole Mystique's power. Now, I'm a super mutant." She said matter-of-factly. "I should have said something." She said.  
  
"You needed time."  
  
"Yeah, but I lost it. Sometimes, I change and I can't control it when it happens." She declared.  
  
"Like right now?"  
  
Rogue nodded. "Pietro, come here." She said patting the empty space beside her. He did so in an easy stride. "See?" She said taking his hand into hers.  
  
"You can touch." He smiled.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Aren't you happy?" He asked.  
  
She shrugged her shoulders as if unsure, looking away from him; her hand still in his. He gave it a soft reassuring squeeze.  
  
"Hey, it's okay." He whispered.  
  
"No, it's not." She said turning her head into the pillow so that he wouldn't see her cry. She shifted herself on the bed, let go of his hand and turned to face away from him. "I'm dangerous. I could change any day. Kill one of you."  
  
"You wouldn't do that." He protested firmly, sounding surer than he intended.  
  
"You don't know that. But I do. I know that when I'm threatened, I won't hesitate, no matter who it is. I will kill you if I need to." Her voice sounded odd as she turned back around to face him, as if she was sure that she would. "You saw me before. You saw how I didn't stop."  
  
Pietro nodded, remembering hoe powerful she was even then, even with the limited amount of energy that she had.  
  
He listened to her explain everything, from the concert to her training to now, giving him some insight on how this whole mess truly started. It was terrifying.  
  
But he refused to believe that she would hurt them. He was Rogue-the Brotherhood's Roguey. She wouldn't hurt them.  
  
Never would he doubt that.  
  
In his mind, her actions were justified. Duncan tried to hurt her and she fought back. It just happened that she was stronger than he was. That in the end, she was the one who won. Her powers saved her. It made sense.  
  
"Everything's going to be fine." He whispered, rubbing her back when he realized that she was crying. He didn't really know if anything was going to be fine.  
  
He knew it wasn't the same anymore. He knew that her new powers made her leave the X-men.  
  
Something big was going to happen. He just hoped they'd be prepared for it. Rogue especially. As powerful as she says she may be right now, she was still fragile, still broken inside.  
  
No amount of power could fix that.  
  
~*~  
  
SORRY THAT THIS FIC ISN'T EXACTLY EXCITING. I JUST HAD TO MAKE A POINT WITH DUNCAN. YOU GUYS DIDN'T THINK THAT I'D BE THAT CRUEL TO STICK HER WITH SOMEONE LIKE HIM, DO YOU? THAT LITTLE INCIDENT WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD INTO SOMETHING BIG. ANYWAY, SHE WILL END UP WITH ONE OF THE BoM GUYS. I JUST HAVENT DECIDED YET. KEEP ON GIVING ME SOME IDEAS. AND THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS. 


	5. chapter five

A/N: THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS. ESPECIALLY THE EXTREMELY LONG ONE FROM ICY FLAME. TALK ABOUT LONG. LOL. BUT I APPRACIATE IT. LOVED THE READING. OKAY SO I GIVE. YOU GUYS WIN. IT'S A REITRO. SORRY TO THOSE WHO DIDN'T GET WHAT THEY WANT. I AGREE WITH A LOT OF THE SUGGESTIONS. ROGUE TORN BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL BUT NOT COMPLETELY EVIL, ANTI XAVIER, WANDA COMING BACK AND ALL THE REST. ANYWAY, HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER. TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. ENJOY.  
  
~*~  
  
Scott stood defiantly in front of the Brotherhood house. "We want to see her." He declared firmly.  
  
"Well, she doesn't want to see any of you." Pietro said mockingly as he stood in front of the door, blocking their way.  
  
"Pietro, it's either you move, or we shove you out of the way." Evan said roughly.  
  
"If you can catch me." He grinned, his trademark annoyingly grin on his face.  
  
"Kurt, port us into the house." Scott ordered without even looking back at Kurt who nodded obediently.  
  
"I suggest you not try that. She'll kick your ass." Blob said appearing right behind Pietro.  
  
"Besides, you're not going to get through us, x geeks, even from inside the house." Pietro declared.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Rogue looked up at her ceiling, trying desperately to block the noise that was coming from downstairs. She knew that some of the 'x geeks' had come over, demanding to see her and from the loud arguing, it was obvious that Pietro was being annoying and stubborn as usual, and not letting them through without a fight.  
  
"Good." She smiled, proud that the Brotherhood weren't being pushovers.  
  
Five minutes later, after the noise increased instead of died down, Rogue groaned as she stood up from her bed, annoyed that she had to leave the comfortable spot just to talk to people who she wasn't keen on seeing right now.  
  
She dragged her feet lazily, the bunny slippers covering her toes. She smiled at herself, somewhat amused at how she looked. She was still in her pajamas, which was uncharacteristically pink. It was definitely something Kitty would have worn.  
  
She glanced at the mirror by the stairs, frowned and morphed herself into some more threatening attire. She smiled, pleased with the black clothes which looked the exact opposite of the x men uniform.  
  
Morphing was something that came handy any time and she mastered it in one night.  
  
She teleported right outside, the X-men oblivious of her presence.  
  
Another trick she quickly learned.  
  
Pietro winked at her and slammed the door at Scott just right after a nice, sarcastic, "See ya!"  
  
Scott groaned, pounded his fits on the door, demanding to open it right then and there or else.  
  
"Or else what?" Rogue asked a loud, her voice firm, startling all of them. They whirled around to face her, looking worried and really annoyed.  
  
"Geez, Rogue, way to go on the sneaking around and scaring people to death." Kurt said with a sigh.  
  
She gave him a look but brushed it off quickly. "I was resting. What do you want?" She asked.  
  
"How did you get here? Never mind. We just wanted to see if you were okay." Evan replied softly.  
  
"Well, I look okay, don't I?" She asked, as she folded her arm in front of her.  
  
"Nice outfit." Kitty said, admiring her rebellious but yet stylish choice of black clothing.  
  
"Thanks." She said, giving her friend a genuine but rather snobbish smile. "Okay, either you say what you came here to say or leave." She said, more towards Scott.  
  
"Guys, you mind giving us a minute?" Scott asked and they all started to walk away but Rogue said otherwise.  
  
"We have nothing to hide. Let them stay." She said slyly.  
  
"I'd rather not." Scott sighed, getting annoyed by her stubbornness.  
  
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Keeping secrets from your team mates, huh, Scott?" She asked mockingly.  
  
"I don't hide secrets." He said firmly.  
  
"Then let them stay." She said.  
  
"Fine.  
  
"Start talking." She commanded.  
  
"Why'd you leave?" He asked, getting straight to the point.  
  
She raised a graceful eyebrow at him. "Well, I'm glad you finally noticed that I don't live with you guys anymore, two days later."  
  
"Well, it still doesn't justify, why you left." Evan said interrupting and she gave him a death glare.  
  
"I don't need to explain my actions to any of you." She retorted.  
  
"You do, if it concerns us." Scott argued.  
  
"Anything that has to do with me does not concern any of you." She stated aggressively.  
  
"I'm your brother. I think you concern me." Kurt spoke up.  
  
"Foster brother." She corrected bitterly.  
  
"Doesn't matter to me, sis." He said.  
  
"Whatever." She said brushing him off. "Is this what you all came here for? To gang up on me? Well, thank you so much for wasting all your energy on arguing with me. I am very flattered that I am worth this much trouble." She said sarcastically.  
  
"What happened to you?" Scott asked, as if really seeing her for the first time.  
  
"Oh, I bet your good old professor Xavier can answer that." She replied, again sarcastically. "I'm sure he briefed you all about me when he asked you and Jean to 'watch' over me."  
  
Scott frowned but said nothing.  
  
"Don't think I'm stupid. I know what you're up too. All this revved up mutant power isn't in me for no reason." She said, smirking at Scott. "I know everything you do. Oh, and in case you didn't know," She said looking at all of them. "But I'm sure Scott does, the professor knew the minute I left the mansion. They don't call him psychic for no reason."  
  
"Okay, we know you're angry at us-" Scott said but she cut him off.  
  
"DO NOT start that we-know-you're-angry-but-we-just-want-to-help speech on me!" She warned. "I know you too well, Summers."  
  
Scott winced at her tone. She had called him Summers, very much like the Brotherhood and any other person who disliked him.  
  
"Rogue, calm down." Kurt said softly.  
  
"I am calm!" She hissed at him. "No that you got what you wanted to know, I'd appreciate it if you left."  
  
"Rogue."  
  
"I'm staying here, and nothing any of you can do or say is going to change that. Don't waste your energy on me."  
  
"Come home." Kitty said, almost pleadingly.  
  
"I am home." Rogue said; her voice firm and honest.  
  
"No, you're wrong. Home is with us." Scott insisted.  
  
"Home is where I feel welcome." She argued. "Now, leave! I don't need to prove how I feel to any of you! You never cared! Why the sudden change of heart, Scott? Is it because I'm suddenly a little too powerful for your liking and staying with the Brotherhood isn't making you comfortable?"  
  
Scott seemed to look hurt. "You were the one who changed. You abandoned your team. You betrayed us." He said pointing at her accusingly.  
  
"Finally!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air as if triumphant. "You finally said it." She said laughing at him slightly. "So, now, I'm a traitor because I upped and left and now I live with the Brotherhood, your hated enemies. You can hate me too, Scott. In fact you already do."  
  
"You're wrong." Kitty said, defending her fellow team mate who was in her eyes, being attacked.  
  
"It doesn't matter if I'm right or wrong. You all think I'm a traitor. We finally got that in the open. Now, why are you still here and why do I even bother to talk to any of you? You don't care how I am. All you want is me on your side because you know you can use me as your undefeatable shield against the big bad." She said, glaring at Scott.  
  
"The X-men would never use anyone." Scott said angrily, feeling the need to defend his team and family.  
  
"Fine, you go ahead and believe that. Now, leave."  
  
"Rogue, just come with us. Talk to the professor. Talk things out." Evan said, trying to coax him.  
  
"I said no!" She yelled and the ground trembled beneath them, her eyes losing it humanity.  
  
She was losing it again.  
  
Rogue calmed herself, the tremors dying down, mimicking her rage inside. Her deal with Duncan was far from over. It had just happened last night and she was trying desperately to forget about it for a number of reasons but the X-men had to come along, try to talk her into going back with them.  
  
To Rogue, that was a little too much like what Duncan tried with her. Force her.  
  
"I suggest you leave before you regret it." She said; her voice icy and dangerous.  
  
"Let's go." Scott said and they all fell back and retreated to their cars and drove off.  
  
Rogue watched them off, her anger diminishing the further they got. She shrugged it off, walked back into the house.  
  
The Brotherhood turned towards her, looking at her expectantly.  
  
"I assume that went well." Lance said offhandedly.  
  
"Ugh." Rogue gave him a frown as she sat next to Pietro who was happily spooning his ice cream.  
  
"So does this mean you got them off your back, yo?" Todd asked as he leapt to get himself some food.  
  
"No, it means, they'll try again and again, until they've used up all there energy to get me." She answered, sounding somewhat exhausted.  
  
"We'll protect you from the x geeks." Pietro smiled.  
  
"Roguey, can protect herself. Did you feel those tremors?" Lance asked, smiling proudly at her. "Looks like you got a handle on your new powers."  
  
"Anger can make you learn things fast." She said darkly.  
  
"Yeah. So who wants to go out and trash some places?" Lance asked.  
  
"Me!" Todd said excitedly.  
  
"I have nothing better to do so I'll go." Blob declared.  
  
"Yeah, me too. What about you, Roguey? You feel like going for a ride on the wild side?" Pietro asked with a small chuckled.  
  
Rogue shook her head at him, smiling despite herself. "I think I'll stay here."  
  
"Yo, you sure?" Todd asked and she nodded.  
  
"I'm sure. I'll leave the trashing places to you guys. I'll stay here and watch the fort." Rogue said as she led them out.  
  
"Okay, well, holler if you need us." Pietro said.  
  
She nodded without saying anything and closed the door behind her. She sighed as she sat back down on the couch, staring at nothing in particular. She thought of her confrontation with the x-men not too long ago.  
  
Why was it that all she did was fight? Argue with them. It was as if she couldn't find a common ground with them. She knew the difference all too well.  
  
In her mind they were weak. Inferior to her more powerful abilities but they were still her friends. "Were" being the operative word.  
  
So she was bitter about Scott. He never noticed her, no matter how kind and attentive she was to him before. He was always too engrossed in little Ms. Perfect, too busy dating another girl to make Jean jealous.  
  
And Jean just had to rub it in her face. It was so obvious that she liked Scott but no Jean didn't care, didn't bother to think that Rogue was her 'friend' and maybe wanted a little chance with Scott.  
  
Rogue brushed the thought away. That was different then, she couldn't touch. What would that have done if she got to Scott?  
  
Nothing.  
  
But now she can touch. She can have the perfectly normal life she wanted with any guy she pleased and yet she was pushing everyone away, wedging her anger in between anyone who came a little too close to her.  
  
Pietro, in other words.  
  
He had been so kind to her last night, Lance too. But Pietro had sat there and waited and watched her sleep or pretend to. And he had listened to her and rubbed her back when she cried.  
  
He had acted so differently, so kindly that it startled her. The gesture was so alien to her, so new and gentle and yet comforting.  
  
But this was Pietro, her overly egotistical, annoying, vain speed demon friend and almost brother.  
  
Okay, correction: not any type of brother.  
  
Rogue smiled. She definitely did not want any kind of brotherly relationship with him. So, he was cute in a slightly annoying sort of way but cute anyway, and had a nice smile and smelled really good. She could still remember the smell of his cologne. It was so.....so---- Rogue halted as if catching herself in the act.  
  
"I did not just fantasize about Pietro." She said aloud, not believing that she had just done that. She mentally slapped herself giving herself a lecture on not liking boys she lived with. That was definitely a big no- no.  
  
Her rather amusing train of thought was interrupted when she heard a noise coming from outside, followed by the door slamming open.  
  
"Wanda?" She asked aloud as she stood in the middle of the room.  
  
Wanda looked at her curiously for a moment, as if trying to analyze who she was and remember where she saw her before.  
  
Then she snapped.  
  
"What the hell are you doing in my house, X freak?" The other girl demanded dangerously, obviously in the mood to fight.  
  
Rogue frowned at her, standing stubbornly in the middle of the room, her arms crossed in front of her. "I live here." She answered.  
  
"Like hell, you do. Get out!" Wanda ordered.  
  
"I live here. Deal with it." Rogue retorted.  
  
"Fine. I'll take you out myself." Wanda declared as she moved her hand and threw Rogue across the room with an invisible force.  
  
Rogue was caught off guard and hit the wall, wincing from the pain.  
  
"You're going to regret that." Rogue said as she stood up, a dangerous look in her eyes.  
  
"Like you even stand a chance against me." Wanda said cockily.  
  
"Want to make a bet?" Rogue said, taunting her.  
  
Wanda growled and aimed a chair at her but Rogue blocked it off without even blinking.  
  
They circled each other; Wanda throwing every power she had at the other girl but Rogue had an advantage. She was quick and she had enough power to completely destroy Wanda. She mirrored Wanda's moves with ease, laughing almost at how simple their fight seemed.  
  
"You little bitch." Wanda hissed, frustrated and shocked at how powerful Rogue had become. She lunged at her, sending both of them on the ground, knocking what wasn't already broken and on the ground.  
  
She started punching Rogue who blocked every move she made but Wanda suddenly punched her in the stomach, making Rogue groan from the pain. She never saw it coming. Anger took over again and she flipped Wanda, sending the other girl crashing through a wall.  
  
Wanda hastily stood up, still powerful. She used every ounce of her telepathic abilities and Rogue used any power she wanted.  
  
They broke into punches and kicks again after exhausting whatever mutant power they had. They were out of breath but both being stubborn, neither agreed to back down.  
  
The door suddenly flung open and the Brotherhood stood in stunned silence as Wanda laid on the floor, scratching and kicking with Rogue on top of her, fighting just as ferociously.  
  
The Brotherhood looked at the shamble that used to be there house. The railing on the stairs was completely broken, a chair had obviously struck it, there was a whole in the wall which appeared to be the size of a human- presumably Wanda or Rogue, their one and only working lamp was now on the ground, torn and broken and obviously useless, the couch was ripped, all their windows were broken, the curtain appeared to have been burnt into shreds and there was a huge, and very noticeable crack that ran from the living room floor to the rest of the house.  
  
"This is not good." Todd exclaimed.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: SEE, I MADE IT REITRO!! I HAD TO GET IT GOING. I COULDN'T STALL ANYMORE. SORRY IT WASN'T MORE DESCRIPTIVE. ILL WORK ON IT IN THE NEXT CHAPTERS. THEY'LL GET TOGETHER. SOME PEOPLE WILL SHOW UP-A CERTAIN MOTHER.HINT. HINT. ANYWAY, HELP THINK OF A BAD GUY THEY GOT TO FIGHT. OR ROGUE HAS TO FIGHT. HELP ME OUT HERE PEOPLE. YOU HAVE MOST OF THE BRILLIANT IDEAS. I JUST PUT IT INTO WORDS. ANYWAY, HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER. 


	6. chapter six

A/N: AH! YOU GUYS ARE GREAT. THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS. I JUST LOVE READING THEM. I AGREE WITH A LOT OF YOUR IDEAS. I WILL PUT THEM IN AND THIS FIC IS NOW OFFICALLY A RIETRO. I STILL DON'T HAVE AN ENEMY THO. THIS WILL BE ANTI-XAVIER. NO OFFENCE TO ANYONE WHO LIKES THE GUY. I LIKE HIM TOO BUT IM EXPLORING THE OTHER SIDE HERE AND THERE'S A BIG POSSIBILITY THAT HE'S BAD. ANYWAY, JUST FOR NOW, IN THIS STORY, LET'S PRETEND HE IS. AS MUCH AS I LIKE TO SEE ROGUE GET INTO A BIG DEADLY FIGHT WITH HER FORMER TEAM MEMBERS, I JUST DON'T THINK THEIR POWERS COULD COMPARE TO HERS SO I NEED A REALLY POWERFUL AND EVIL ENEMY. HELP ME OUT HERE.  
  
ANYWAY, HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER. HOPE YOU LIKE IT. ENJOY.  
  
~*~  
  
"Why the hell is she here?" Wanda demanded irritably.  
  
"She lives with us, yo." Todd replied as he stepped closer to Wanda who gave him a face and backed away.  
  
"This is my house. I want her out." Wanda declared firmly.  
  
"Actually, this is Mystique's house who happens to be my mother so technically, this is my house." Rogue argued insolently.  
  
"Wrong! How dare you come into this house and act like you own it? Go back to your family, X freak!" Wanda yelled.  
  
"This is my family! Now, you listen here, you delusional little brat. I'm staying and you either live with it or we fight to the death! Whoever if left standing, obviously gets to stay." Rogue retorted furiously. No one, not even Wanda was going to make her leave.  
  
"Fine. To the death it is."  
  
"Stop it!" Lance yelled. "Now, you two settle this and both of you better be breathing in the end. Deal with each other! I am not going to let you fight each other just to live here. You are both welcome to stay. Now, before anything else happens, you two clean this mess since you started it!" He ordered firmly.  
  
They had just finally managed to pry Rogue and Wanda from each other and he was not about to let them get back to fighting again, ruining everything else or worse, kill each other.  
  
"Don't order me around, Lance." Wanda said angrily.  
  
"Wanda, cut the crap. You two start moving! I want this house cleaned in an hour!" He yelled.  
  
Everyone waited for Wanda to lash out, strangle Lance or all of them but nothing. She just glared at them, groaned and turned back.  
  
"Fine!" She yelled as she walked towards the kitchen, stomping angrily on her way.  
  
They all looked at Lance curiously, as if amazed at how he took a stand and made Wanda, who happened to be the most stubborn person other than Rogue, listen.  
  
"Okay, that was not possible." Pietro said. "She should have killed you."  
  
Lance shrugged, not really interested on thinking about Wanda's somewhat easy compliance.  
  
"Roguey, come on, move. No special treatment." He said and she rolled her eyes at him, muttered something but obeyed anyway.  
  
Rogue and Wanda started to clean their mess, cursing to themselves, complaining quietly and avoiding each other as much as possible.  
  
"This is torture." Rogue groaned, as she stretched in a cat like manner not completely missed by Pietro who was watching her appreciatively.  
  
The house was finally cleaned and restored, thanks to her new and improved powers and Wanda too who contributed as well.  
  
Wanda smirked as she watched Rogue. "Talk about copying someone else's style." She said as she glared at Rogue's black clothes.  
  
"Excuse me? Was I talking to you?" Rogue shot out, glaring at her.  
  
"Not only do you come here and take the house that I live in. You also steal my style of clothes." Wanda declared angrily.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, miss-I-want-everything-my-way-because-I-was-in-a-mental- hospital." Rogue retorted sarcastically. "I didn't know black was your color. Sorry I forgot that little piece of very important information. Please, forgive me, your highness?" Rogue finished off with a satisfied scoff, as she whipped her body around and walked towards her room.  
  
"What did you call me?" Wanda demanded, her eyes narrowing into small saucers.  
  
"Um, girls can you take it easy on each other?" Pietro asked cautiously.  
  
"Shut up!" Wanda hissed at her brother.  
  
"Christ, Wanda, give it up already!" Rogue yelled exasperatedly. "I mean what is it with you? So, I live here. Big deal. It's not like I'm trying to replace you. Your old room is still there. Now, if you're still not done being angry, I suggest you go outside and beat a tree or something. I'm pretty sure it won't complain but I personally would like to get back to my room and sleep."  
  
"This isn't over, X freak." Wanda declared calling after her as Rogue continue to walk up the stairs.  
  
"Yeah. Yeah." Rogue muttered, finally disappearing into the second floor.  
  
"Um, Wanda, hate to interrupt you sweettums, but I was just wondering, yo, if you and Roguey over there are going to do this everyday because I'd like it if you guys made a schedule so that I can avoid being in the house while you try to kill each other." Todd said, grinning at her innocently and waiting for the inevitable smack on the face.  
  
"Ugh!" She groaned as she stormed out of the living room. Sometimes, Todd was just too much to bear.  
  
"Hey, do you think they'd do mud fights in bikinis?" Todd asked, looking back at the guys, a mischievous grin on his face.  
  
"Ewww! That's my sister and Rogue," Pietro exclaimed, making a face. "Well, since Rogue is in it, it doesn't seem like such a bad----never mind. Todd, can you not talk about my sister like that?" He asked.  
  
"Hey, Wanda is a total babe, and so is Roguey, yo. I wouldn't complain with either one of them." Todd said grinning like a mad idiot and Pietro stood up, blurred and smacked him upside the head.  
  
"That is what they would do if they heard you." He said.  
  
"You are all driving me insane!" Lance exclaimed, rubbing his forehead to soothe his migraine.  
  
"Well, what do you expect? There are two completely hotheaded, unrelenting girls in the house who want to annihilate each other and then there's Todd hitting on both of them, driving them even crazier and the rest of us insane." Pietro smiled, amused.  
  
"Pietro, you should talk." Todd retorted.  
  
"Okay, what are you talking about now?"  
  
"Yo, you were so hitting on Roguey last night. Don't think we didn't see you all rubbing her back and listening to her problems."  
  
"I was not hitting on her! I was trying to make her feel better and why the hell were you snooping on us?" He said, trying to justify himself; feeling completely embarrassed for being caught.  
  
"So, you're an "us" now? Yo, talk about quick." Todd chuckled, baiting him.  
  
"We--me and Rogue are not an "us". Why are we talking about me anyway?"  
  
"Because you brought it up." Todd answered.  
  
"And you're denying it which means you really like her." Lance spoke up, causing him to even feel more humiliated. It was so obvious. Pietro wasn't the kind to deny anything, especially girls, no matter how untrue. In fact, out of all of them, he was usually the one to brag, and gloat until their ears turned sore from listening to him.  
  
It was amusing to see Pietro blush and still deny everything that Todd accused him of.  
  
"I can't believe you're ganging up on me." Pietro said with a sigh.  
  
"Petey, take it easy. I think Roguey likes you too." Blob said calling him by his nickname.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"I was just messing with you." Blob joked, laughing hysterically and almost choking on his sandwich.  
  
"Serves you right. And stop calling me Petey." He groused as he blurred and walked away.  
  
"I was just joking!" Blob called after him.  
  
"Petey likes Roguey! Petey likes Roguey!" Todd chanted as he hopped around the living room.  
  
"Don't let her hear you say that or she'll choke the life out of you." Lance warned.  
  
Todd stopped, thought about it for a brief second and frowned. "Yeah, can't forget that." He said.  
  
Lance chuckled, shaking his head.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
  
  
Xavier shook his head as he listened to Scott report about Rogue.  
  
"She's not listening to us professor. Her emotions are out of control." Rogue said solemnly. "And she said something." He added hesitantly.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"She said that you knew when she left. Is it true?"  
  
Xavier shook his head and sighed. "I did not know that she was gone. I sensed that she was troubled but it seems that she placed a mental block so that I could not reach her."  
  
"She can do that?" He asked, shocked.  
  
"Yes, she is very powerful, I'm afraid." Xavier answered.  
  
"Will she hurt us?" He queried.  
  
He nodded grimly, his face in a slight frown. "She won't hesitate. I'm afraid she's already started abusing her powers. You do know of a boy named Duncan from your school, don't you?"  
  
Scott nodded.  
  
"He's in the hospital as we speak. He's been there since last night. She attacked him." He announced.  
  
"She wouldn't. Not without a good reason."  
  
"But she did, Scott. And we have to stop her." He stated firmly.  
  
Scott nodded, feeling slightly uneasy about his discovery. Why would she attack him? It didn't make sense.  
  
"Her anger triggers her powers." The professor replied, reading Scott's mind. "I suspect that he infuriated her and she lashed out on him. His condition is very critical. We can't allow Rogue to repeat this."  
  
"What can we do? She's too powerful."  
  
"We'll have to weaken her. She isn't as powerful as she is meant to be. Rogue is new to this. We still have a chance." The professor stated.  
  
"What about the Brotherhood? They won't let us get near her."  
  
"Then let her come to us." Xavier replied cryptically.  
  
"How?"  
  
"We'll think of that later. Jean has already briefed the others." He said quietly. "I need your full support on this. As leader of the X-men, I can't have you second guessing me. Your team mates need your strength." Xavier declared slyly when he sensed Scott's doubts.  
  
"I'm sorry, professor. If, course I'm with you. You have my full support." Scott apologized quietly, feeling like a deserter for doubting the professor who was like a father to him.  
  
He had no right to suspect Xavier. He had saved him and his brother too and all the rest of them. He gave them a life, a chance to live freely and appreciate what they had, what they were.  
  
He---they-owed professor their lives and utmost loyalty.  
  
Why couldn't Rogue understand that?  
  
"You may go." Xavier stated, dismissing him quietly.  
  
Scott nodded as he walked out of Xavier's office, letting out a sigh the minute the door closed behind him.  
  
The thought of Rogue hurting someone unnerved him. As uncontrollable and unpredictable she was, Rogue was not the kind to go out hurting others. Not with a valid, reasonable explanation.  
  
But the professor would never lie. Not about something as crucial as this.  
  
Right?  
  
Scott frowned and thought back of when he last saw Rogue which was this morning. She looked fine; obviously very livid but fine. She didn't appear like she had just hurt someone, much less almost killed them.  
  
But this was Rogue. She was unpredictable, emotionally unstable, and confrontational. She had the very characteristics of someone ready to fly into a rage.  
  
The professor was right. She was a ticking time bomb. She would destroy all of them.  
  
They had to stop her.  
  
Whatever the cost.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!  
  
OH, CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT APOCALPSE IS LIKE AND MAYBE A WEBSITE THAT FEATURES HIM? IM THINKING, HE'D MAKE A GOOD BAD GUY BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW HIS CHARACTER WELL ENOUGH.  
  
THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!! 


	7. chapter seven

A/N: THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS. I MADE SOME CORRECTIONS ON THE MISTAKES THAT YOU GUYS NOTICED. LIKE PIETRO FOR EXAMPLE. YOU WERE RIGHT; HE WAS BEING A LITTLE TOO NICE. ANYWAY, HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER AND THE REVISION OF HIS CHARACTER. BUT HE WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE TO BE NICE BECAUSE IF I PUT HIM DOWN AS A JERK, HE AND ROGUE WILL BE FIGHTING AND IT'LL TURN INTO A LANCE THING SINCE HE'S THE NICE ONE HERE. HOPE THIS MAKES SENSE. ANYWAY, ENJOY AND MORE REVIEWS.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
"Pietro, where were you?" Rogue demanded as she walked in the kitchen and found the speed demon seated around the table.  
  
"Around." He said, shrugging his shoulders; not even looking at her.  
  
"Well, you were supposed to help me train two hours ago." Rogue declared, getting incredibly annoyed for being stood up.  
  
"Well, sorry. I couldn't make it." He replied nonchalantly.  
  
"And you couldn't tell me so you just stood me up?" She asked.  
  
"Well, if you say it that way.."  
  
"Pietro, you know how important training is to me. Was it that hard to run over here and tell me? I would have said it was okay." Rogue frowned.  
  
"Rogue, this isn't like the X-men. We don't do training and we don't have schedules." He replied.  
  
"I know that this isn't like the X-men but I need to learn how to control my powers." She insisted. "I'm not trying to change anything."  
  
"Well, it seems that lately you have been trying. I mean, come on, every week, we take turns training. So, basically, we're becoming the X-men." He retorted.  
  
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"It means that I don't appreciate you trying to take over the Brotherhood and turning it into another replica of the Xavier Institute. My father wouldn't approve of this." He declared angrily.  
  
"Your father has nothing to do with this. Now, since when did I try taking over the Brotherhood, huh, Pietro? All I asked was for someone to help me train once in a while."  
  
"Well, maybe you asked for too much." Pietro said as he shook his head and stormed off.  
  
Rogue sat down, her chest heaving, as she tried to control the tears from trailing down her face.  
  
"Okay, what was that about?" Lance asked as he walked into the kitchen.  
  
He had heard everything and never had he seen Pietro that bitter or cruel to anyone. He may have been egotistical and selfish and somewhat rude on occasions but he was not malicious.  
  
Something was up.  
  
"Nothing." Rogue sniffled as she hastily wiped the tears with the back of her hand.  
  
"He didn't mean it." Lance said.  
  
"Right. I'm sure he was just joking." Rogue said as she hastily stood up, walked over to the fridge, and poured herself a glass of juice so that he wouldn't see that she was crying.  
  
"Rogue. He didn't mean it. He probably is just having a bad day." He explained.  
  
"Okay, whatever you say."  
  
"Rogue, look, I'm going to go talk to him and find out what the hell is wrong with that kid. Now, you stay here." He said as he stood up and walked to the backyard where Pietro was.  
  
Lance sauntered over to Pietro and practically shoved him. "What the hell is wrong with you?"  
  
"Nothing. What's your problem?" Pietro replied.  
  
"You, Pietro. Why the hell did you talk to her like that? You might as well have slapped her across the face." Lance declared angrily.  
  
"Hey, I didn't mean it like that."  
  
"Right, you didn't. I don't get you. Why are you being so cruel to her? She didn't do anything you're accusing her of." Lance said, frowning at his friend.  
  
"Lance, give it up. And why do you care so much? Why the hell do you have to defend her?" Pietro retorted.  
  
"Because she needs someone to take care of her. As powerful as she may be, Rogue is breakable. God, I thought you understood. I thought you cared."  
  
Pietro sighed heavily. "I do care."  
  
"Some way to show your affection." Lance rebutted. "Look, I don't know what's going on with you but you better do something because Rogue barely cries and you just made her cry today. That girl is like a sister to me and I am tempted to strangle you to death or until you apologize. But I'm going to be a man and expect you to be the same and ask her for forgiveness." Lance declared as he stood in front of Pietro, a determined look on his face.  
  
"Whatever." Pietro answered rudely.  
  
"Pietro, do not give me that crap! You're taking that act you put on a little too far." Lance declared.  
  
"What act?" He asked.  
  
"I know you better than anyone. I see right through you. I know you like her. Now move your ass and do something before it's too late. You already hurt her enough for one day." Lance ordered angrily.  
  
"Fine!" Pietro muttered grudgingly as he dashed off and walked back into the house just as the front door slammed shut.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"Rogue, wait!" Pietro called as he ran after her.  
  
Great job Pietro, he said mentally slapped himself for being such a jerk.  
  
She heard him perfectly but refused to turn around.  
  
"Rogue!" He yelled again as he caught up with her.  
  
She stopped short, refusing to turn and face him. "What do you want?" She asked her back still towards him.  
  
"Where are you going?" He asked as he looked at the duffel bag, in her one hand.  
  
"Where do you think I'm freaking going?" She asked angrily as she whirled around. "If you wanted me to leave, you should have just said so and I would have gone. God! I fought your sister so that I could stay. And now you humiliate my by insulting me and treating me like shit."  
  
Pietro looked away; obviously guilty. "Look, about that-"  
  
"Save your breath. I don't want to hear it." She snapped. She glared at him angrily, her anger seeping through her words.  
  
"So you're just going to leave? That easy?" He asked, somewhat surprised.  
  
"Well, yeah. Wanda doesn't want me here and you obviously don't either. So, what the hell am I supposed to do?"  
  
"I don't know. Give a fight. Get mad. Something." He was desperately trying to say something smart but unfortunately, no words of wisdom came to him and he was stuck to one word sentences.  
  
"I don't stay where I'm not wanted. I thought Wanda was just being selfish again but not you seem to agree. And as for fighting, I already did enough of that. Besides, do you know that I could kill you in a heartbeat?" She asked her eyes deadly.  
  
"Oh. No, I didn't. Rogue, listen. I didn't mean what I said. I was having a bad day and I'm sorry." He said quietly.  
  
"So, you thought that it would be okay to take it out on me? Roguey's all powerful now, why not use her as my personal punching bag." She said; her voice filled with sarcasm.  
  
"I said I was sorry." He insisted.  
  
"Well, it isn't good enough Pietro!" She exclaimed angrily. "It doesn't matter. I'm leaving."  
  
"Wait!" He said before she could turn around. "I don't want you to leave. You're wanted here."  
  
"Why? Because you'd miss treating me like crap? You'd miss someone to pick on? Why not use Todd? You know, it's bad enough that Wanda hates me. You just had to join in her little fun, didn't you?" She asked accusingly.  
  
"Hey, this has nothing to do with my sister."  
  
"Well, then, what is it? All week, you've been moody and sarcastic and snappy!"  
  
"Look, I'm sorry. It's just the guys-" Pietro stopped and sighed as he ran his fingers through his silvery hair.  
  
"What the hell do they have to do with this? Is this what you all think? So, they put you up to this?" She demanded, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.  
  
"No! I was just being mean." He explained.  
  
"More like an ass, actually." She said as she folded her arms in front of her; her face in a scowl.  
  
"Ok, I was being an ass." He answered. "It's just the guys...they think ..think that I like you."  
  
"So, you thought the only way to prove them wrong is treat me like crap." She declared, getting even angrier.  
  
"Yeah. Look, I'm sorry. The guys were right."  
  
"Right about what?" She asked.  
  
Boy, was she going to make this hard for him.  
  
"About me being a jerk, being stupid, liking you. Now, can we just go back inside because I'd feel terrible for making you leave." He said hastily, practically running out of breath.  
  
Hopefully, she didn't catch the "liking you" part, Pietro thought as he waited for her response.  
  
Rogue sighed, and shook her head as she walked towards him.  
  
And then, she slapped him across the face.  
  
"That's for thinking that you can treat me badly because you like me and you don't want the guys catching on." With that said she stepped around him and walked into the house without another word.  
  
Okay, she definitely caught the "liking you part, Pietro thought as he rubbed the spot where the palm of her hand painfully collided with his face.  
  
"I'll make it up to you." He mumbled as he followed her.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: I'M STILL WORKING ON THE BAD GUY. APOLCALYPSE SEEMS TO BE THE BEST OPTION SO FAR. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON HIM BUT COULD ANYONE TELL ME IF HE WAS HUMAN BEFORE BECAUSE I READ SOMEWHERE THAT HE WAS. SOME OF THE FIGHT SCENE IDEAS LIKE ALL OF THEM GANGING UP ON ROGUE IS A GOOD ONE TOO BUT I NEED A REASONABLE EXPLANTION AS TO WHY THEY'RE ATTACKING HER.  
  
ANYWAY, THE WANDA/ROGUE FRIENDSHIP WILL BE INCLUDED AND SO WILL MYSTIQUE. THANKS FOR READING AND TRYING TO HELP ME OUT WITH THIS THING. I'M JUST NOT GOOD WITH THE WHOLE X MEN THING. I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE WHOLE STORY.  
  
HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER. SOMEWHAT SHORT BUT ANYWAY, MORE REVIEWS PLEASE. 


	8. chapter eight

A/N: THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS AGAIN. I'VE DECIDED THAT MAGNETO AND XAVIER WILL GO AGAINST ROGUE BUT APOCALYPSE WILL ALSO SHOW UP, I THINK. HIS ROLE WON'T BE THAT BIG. NOTHING IMPORTANT. SO WE HAVE TWO BAD GUY'S SO FAR. AND MYSTIQUE'S BACK. YAY! ANYWAY, HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER. ROGUE IS A LITTLE OUT OF CHARACTER IN MY OPINION BUT I HAD TO MAKE HER NICE IN THIS CHAPTER. YOU GUYS WANTED A ROGUE/WANDA FRIENDSHIP, SO HERE IT IS. ANYWAY, ENJOY AND MORE REVIEWS.  
  
~*~  
  
Rogue sat quietly in her room, as she stared in the ceiling in the dark. Her hands were clasped on top of her stomach and she was scowling.  
  
"Christ!" She hissed in the darkness, no one hearing her.  
  
Wanda was the other room next to her, trashing and turning.  
  
Nightmares, Rogue thought. She turned to her side, grabbed her pillow and put it over her head, almost stifling herself.  
  
"Ugh!" She groaned as she swung her legs to one side and walked sleepily out of bed to Wanda's room.  
  
"Wanda!" She hissed, shaking the other girl. Wanda was covered in sweat, her eyebrows creased into a frown. "Wanda!" She said louder but not loud enough for anyone else to hear.  
  
She slightly slapped her on the cheek and in an instant, Wanda's hand was around her throat.  
  
"What are you trying to do?" Wanda demanded angrily. "Kill me?"  
  
"You had nightmares." Rogue replied as she yanked the hand off of her.  
  
"Whatever. Get out of here." She declared.  
  
"So much for thank you." Rogue muttered as she got off Wanda's bed.  
  
"Sorry, I'm not good with nightmares." Wanda whispered as she dressed the blanket on top of her.  
  
"I never thought I'd see the day that you-Wanda Maximoff would say sorry." Rogue grinned.  
  
"Don't push it!" Wanda scowled.  
  
"Okay, okay." Rogue said, raising her hand in mock surrender.  
  
"What is it with you and your sarcasm?" Wanda asked; her voice slightly bitter.  
  
"What is it with you and your attitude? You act like you're miss 'thang'." Rogue retorted, glaring at the other girl.  
  
"Oh, don't even talk. You act exactly the same-like you can kick everyone's ass." Wanda replied just as nastily.  
  
"Well, I can." Rogue said.  
  
"So can I." Wanda declared, slightly smiling.  
  
"Well, that makes us even then."  
  
"Yeah. Why are you still here again? I'd like to sleep now." Wanda asked.  
  
"Can't sleep. I get nightmares like you. And since you're already up, I'm going to bug you." Rogue declared as she sat on Wanda's bed.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"That's right. I'm staying." Rogue declared, not truly understanding what the hell she was doing. Perhaps, it was time for things to change.  
  
"Not if I kill you first." Wanda warned precariously.  
  
"Whatever. You know you can't kill me. We'd last the whole night just trying to kill each other." Rogue declared.  
  
"Ugh! You really like to make me miserable." Wanda groaned. As much as she hated to admit it, Rogue was right. "So, what is this? Girl talk? Bonding? Ugh, don't even go there, X freak." Wanda said with a face. "Just because you *saved* from my nightmare doesn't mean we're going to be buddies."  
  
"Whatever." Rogue scoffed. "Think of it as a truce. Let's try not to kill each other. We have other things to worry about."  
  
"Like?"  
  
"Xavier, the X freaks as you like to call them and your father." Rogue explained.  
  
Wanda looked at her hesitantly. "Why the hell do we have to worry about them? I mean, I don't care about the X freaks and as for my father, all I have to do is find him, then I can kill him."  
  
"Just because the X men are after me doesn't mean they don't think of you as a threat. When I was there, the professor declared you as highly dangerous." Rogue replied quietly.  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment." Wanda stated. "So why'd you leave them anyway?"  
  
"Because they were acting all weird around me. My brother was afraid of me. He didn't have to say it. I could see it so clearly whenever he looked at me. He tried to be nice but he couldn't help it." Rogue explained. "The professor was suspicious of me. He had me watched by none other than his two best students--Scott and Jean."  
  
"Some way to make you feel accepted." Wanda scoffed as she rolled her eyes.  
  
"Tell me about it. Anyway, I just couldn't take it anymore. The other kids were being all cautious around me. I guess they were afraid too." She said, sighing deeply.  
  
"Well, they should be."  
  
"Really? So, you're finally accepting that I'm very powerful?" Rogue asked curiously.  
  
"Don't get cocky now, X freak." Wanda replied.  
  
"I'd apreaciate it if you dropped that." Rogue said snappily.  
  
"Okay, okay, geez, touchy much." Wanda answered.  
  
"Hey. I'm sorry about the whole 'mental hospital thing'. That was harsh." Rogue said sincerely. She hadn't meant what she said before.  
  
"Whatever. Since you apologized, I'll stop with the x freak and name calling." Wanda smiled.  
  
"Okay." Rogue nodded.  
  
"So what was that whole deal with you and my dumbass of a twin brother today?" Wanda asked curiously, watching Rogue's reaction.  
  
Rogue shrugged offhandedly. "He was being a jerk to me. Lance said something to him and well, it's over now."  
  
"So you and Lance?" Wanda asked narrowing her eyes, a curious look on her face.  
  
Rogue frowned, looking shocked. "No! Eww! No offence to Lance but I think of him as a brother. That's just wrong."  
  
"Okay. Just asking. Besides, I don't think Pietro would be happy with that." She said with a small smirk.  
  
Rogue raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Oh?"  
  
"Please, don't even act like you don't know." Wanda scoffed. "He likes you. It's so obvious. Too bad he has to be a jerk to every girl he likes. I mean talk about stupid."  
  
Rogue smiled. "You're nice." She said sarcastically.  
  
"Well, he is stupid. If he likes you, he should just say it." Wanda declared insistently.  
  
"He did and I slapped him." Rogue announced.  
  
Wanda shook her head, trying to hide her amused smile. "Oh."  
  
"Yeah." Rogue smiled. "But I had a reason."  
  
Wanda nodded. She had heard from Todd--the now official annoying gossip box in the Brotherhood house. "So, what exactly are your new powers? I mean I know you can absorb people." She queried.  
  
Rogue shrugged her shoulders. "Last month, I absorbed Mystique at a concert. I got too much of her power and went ballistic. I kept changing into the people I absorbed." She began. "Anyway, after that I found out that her powers stayed and I can reverse it."  
  
"Reverse it?" Wanda echoed, not understanding what she meant.  
  
"Yeah. I can change things by touching them." Rogue explained.  
  
"So, if I told you to turn Toad into a rat, you would?" Wanda asked, getting incredibly curious.  
  
"I could but I won't." Rogue chuckled. "He's not that bad. Just maim him once in a while and he'll leave you alone."  
  
Wanda nodded; approving. "What else can you do?"  
  
"I can shape shift into the people I absorbed and I can also use the power that they have." She answered.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Oh?" Rogue echoed not liking the tone.  
  
"Yeah. Oh." Wanda repeated. "That makes you very powerful." She declared.  
  
"You're stating the obvious." Rogue acknowledged, crossing her arm in front of her.  
  
"No wonder Xavier wants you dead." Wanda said.  
  
Rogue frowned, getting offended. "He doesn't want me dead." She insisted.  
  
"Okay, if he doesn't want you dead then he wants to use you." Wanda stated.  
  
"Again, obvious." Rogue spoke up.  
  
"Why don't you just kill him? I would." Wanda declared; proud of her ruthlessness.  
  
"Because unlike you, I don't kill people unless provoked." Rogue replied firmly. "And even then, I just try to weaken them."  
  
"That'll get you kill one of these days." Wanda muttered.  
  
"Right." Rogue said mockingly. "I'd like to watch them try to kill me."  
  
"A little proud X frea---Rogue?" Wanda asked, quickly correcting herself.  
  
Rogue smiled.  
  
Good.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"Are you sure they didn't kill each other?" Pietro asked Lance as they peered into Wanda's room.  
  
Rogue and Wanda were sprawled on Wanda's bed, sleeping on opposite sides of the bed. Apparently, they'd both fallen asleep there.  
  
"I'm pretty sure." Lance asked, also peering.  
  
"They're breathing." Blob declared.  
  
"Oooh, girl to girl action. Kinky." Todd declared as he poked his head into the room and everyone looked at him like he had just said the nastiest thing in the world.  
  
"That is my sister in there." Pietro hissed, frowning at him. "I wonder what happened." He asked aloud.  
  
"Who knows? They look okay." Lance answered. "I think."  
  
Pietro nodded as the four guys walked away from the room, afraid that they might wake up and snap. Everyone knew how moody the girls were when they wake up.  
  
"If you ever say anything like that again, Todd, I will kill you." He threatened.  
  
"Hey, can't a guy dream, yo?" Todd asked.  
  
"Well, why don't you keep your nasty little dreams to yourself next time? God you make me sick." Lance growled.  
  
"Yo, just because I have an active imagination does not mean I'm 'sick'." Todd retorted stubbornly.  
  
"Whatever. Now, shut up. I'd like to eat my breakfast without hearing about your nasty remarks." Pietro said.  
  
The four of them sat around the table eating pancakes that they had previously stolen to last for the week. Blob had the largest stack.  
  
"Morning." Rogue said as she entered the kitchen, stretching her arms to her sides.  
  
"Yeah, morning." Wanda echoed as she followed Rogue.  
  
"What's up with you two? Are you friends now?" Blob asked curiously.  
  
"Don't even go there." Wanda glared at him.  
  
"Not even close." Rogue smirked, looking over at Wanda, not glaring or thinking of killing her.  
  
"I swear, girls are weird. One minute they're trying to kill each other, the next they're all friendly." Todd muttered, shaking his head in confusion.  
  
"Todd, if you don't shut up, you're dead." Wanda warned.  
  
"And then they're trying to kill some guy." Pietro piped in.  
  
"Well, if guys weren't such jerks, we wouldn't even try to kill them." Rogue retorted willfully. She glared at Pietro who just shook his head.  
  
"And then there's p.m.s. I tell you, don't go near a girl when she's on her-"  
  
"Pietro!" Wanda yelled.  
  
"Okay. Okay." He surrendered.  
  
"So, yo, you two want to tell us why you're friends..err...not trying to kill each other?" Todd asked.  
  
"We called a truce." Rogue answered.  
  
"That's a first." Lance declared quietly. "And good."  
  
"Why?" Blob asked intriguingly  
  
"Because we need to destroy our enemies so later, we can kill each other." Wanda explained as she and Rogue sauntered out of the kitchen.  
  
"Oh." Lance said whispered, a confused look on his face.  
  
"Like I said, weird." Todd whispered so that the girls wouldn't hear him again.  
  
"I heard that!" Rogue yelled from the living room.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Magneto floated over the balcony with ease, his dark cape billowing around him. The French doors swung open, allowing him entry.  
  
"You wanted to talk?" He asked; his voice low and dark. He barely touched the ground as his large frame formed a shadow in the rather bright room.  
  
"We need to make a deal, old friend." Xavier declared as he nodded.  
  
"And what deal would this be, Charles? You know that I don't support your belief in saving humanity." Magneto replied.  
  
"I know but humanity is not a priority right now. We must destroy a common enemy." Xavier declared solemnly.  
  
"Apocalypse?"  
  
Xavier shook his head, his face devoid of any emotions. "Rogue."  
  
"I thought she was one of your prized students." Magneto replied, his voice evident of his surprise.  
  
"She was. Now, I've received some information that she is the last key." Xavier declared warningly. "We can't allow her to release Apocalypse into the world."  
  
"The last key? Where did you get this information?" Magneto demanded.  
  
"I have my sources. Now, are you going to help me?" Xavier replied cryptically. "As much as you want to destroy humanity, I don't believe you want to destroy the world."  
  
Magneto nodded, his face hidden in the shadows. "Very well, you have the Acolytes' support." Magneto declared reluctantly.  
  
"Good." Xavier grinned.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
The door flung open, followed by a loud bang and Mystique stood in the doorway, her yellow eyes determined and troubled.  
  
"Should we do something?" Todd asked quietly as he cowered behind the three other guys who were backing away from the very dangerous looking Mystique.  
  
"Hey, boss. Good to see you." Lance said hesitantly.  
  
"Shut up!" Mystique hissed.  
  
"The house is clean. We didn't trash anything." Todd spoke up fearfully.  
  
"I noticed." She said glaring at all of them. "Something's up here." She added as she narrowed her eyes, looking at all of them suspiciously.  
  
"Well, well, if it isn't my mother." Rogue's heated voice interrupted all of them. She glared at Mystique as she approached her. Her stance was proud, determined, hinting no sign of fear or hesitance. Rogue's eyes narrowed, staring directly at Mystique's. "About time you showed up."  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: OK, SO THAT WASN'T THE MOST EXCITING CHAPTER BUT I HAD TO BRING MAGNETO AND MYSTIQUE INTO THE STORY. I COULDN'T STALL ANY LONGER. AND I HAD TO START THE ROGUE/WANDA FRIENDSHIP. ANYWAY, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. 


	9. chapter nine

A/N: OKAY, I HAVE A FELLING THAT THIS CHAPTER IS GOING TO SUCK. ANYWAY, THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS. I HAVE AN IDEA NOW ON WHO SHE'S GOING TO FIGHT BUT ANYWAY, IT'S VAGUE SO I WON'T TRY TO EXPLAIN IT. I'D LIKE TO THANK ICY FLAME FOR THE ICNREDIBLY LONG AND DETAILED REVIEW AND TO EVERYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN REAL NICE AND DIDN'T FLAME ME. LOL. THANKS FOR YOUR IDEAS. HOPEFULLY, WE DON'T RUN OUT OF THEM BEFORE THE GOOD PART. OKAY, HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER. HOPE IT DOESN'T SUCK THAT MUCH.  
  
~*~  
  
"Are you okay?" Pietro asked quietly as he and Rogue sat around the kitchen table.  
  
She was uncharacteristically quieter than usual as she stared into nothing. She hadn't said a word to him since Mystique came home and they had a shouting fest for the rest of the afternoon.  
  
Then everything just grew silent and Mystique walked to her room and Rogue sat down, looking stunned.  
  
No one knew what happened or what was said since they all left to give the feuding mother and daughter some space. And it scared all of them.  
  
"Huh?" Rogue asked as if not hearing him. Nothing seemed to make sense, even what Pietro was saying. It was as if the world was going by in a flash and she couldn't quite catch up.  
  
"I said, are you okay?" Pietro repeated. He knew the answer but still her had to ask. They were all worried about her. He was worried.  
  
Rogue shrugged as she took a sip of her drink. "Do I look okay?" She asked, her voice losing it's hint of sarcasm.  
  
Pietro narrowed his eyes, watching her carefully. "No. You look like you just got the shit beat out of you." He answered.  
  
"Basically." She whispered somewhat dejectedly.  
  
"She beat you?" He asked, shocked.  
  
She forced a small smile on her lips. "No. She told me something." She answered.  
  
"Oh. So, was it bad?" He asked.  
  
Rogue nodded, falling silent again. "Very bad."  
  
"You want to tell me about it? Everyone's curious on what happened. I mean, we all expected this to last a few days but you two aren't even talking to each other. It worries us that this is happening this way." Pietro declared.  
  
"We're okay. And we aren't going to kill each other any time soon." Rogue answered. "We called a truce sorta-like me and Wanda. It's temporary." She chuckled, evading giving him the answer.  
  
"Oh." Pietro whispered.  
  
"I'm going to bed." She said standing up. Rogue walked towards her room quietly while Pietro sat by the table, looking after her.  
  
She stopped short and turned. "Pietro, what would you do if your mother told you that you have a choice between bringing the end of the world and saving it?" She asked quietly.  
  
Confusion and worry crossed Pietro's face as he tried to make sense of what she had just asked him. "I don't know." He answered.  
  
"Neither do I." She whispered as she disappeared to the second floor.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
  
  
Rogue slept silently as the shadows crept around her, moving outside her window. The whispers were low as they circled the house.  
  
Suddenly she woke up with a cold feeling around her neck, startling her.  
  
"What the-"  
  
"Sorry, Rogue." Scott said apologetically as he looked down on her, tightening the metal chain around her neck.  
  
"Get off me!" She yelled as she threw him across the room. She tried yanking the chain off but if wouldn't come off. The more she struggled, the tighter it was around her neck.  
  
"You're going to pay for this!" She said as she tried to use her powers. Kurt, Jean, Kitty and Evan were all in the room with her, looking hesitant and afraid but ready to attack her if the opportunity arises.  
  
Suddenly, a searing pain ran through her head as she winced, falling on the ground, clutching her head in agony. She felt out of breath as she resisted.  
  
"What did you do?" She demanded angrily as tried again but nothing came and every time she tried to use her powers, she was engulfed by more agony.  
  
"That chain around your neck stops your power. It reflects it back to you so don't try anything. When you use it, it'll cause you pain. I suggest, you don't struggle." Scott declared grimly.  
  
"Like hell, I won't." Rogue said as she stood up weakly, ready to fight them.  
  
She could hear crashing outside her room, explosion and a lot of yelling. "What do you want?" She asked angrily as she tried to stand up straight but her knees felt weak from the shock administered to her.  
  
"You." Jean said, pointing a finger at her.  
  
Rogue glared at Jean, her anger and hatred for the girl increases each minute.  
  
"Rogue, we're sorry but we had no choice." Kurt said apologetically.  
  
"Shut up, you traitor!" She yelled angrily at her brother. "You are no longer my family."  
  
Jean and Scott approached her but she ducked, kicking and punching them as she did so.  
  
"I may not have my powers, but I can still beat you." She hissed as she kicked down her door. She ran outside her room and saw that the house was in flames and everyone was running around and fighting.  
  
Magneto hovered, watching them patiently with Xavier by his side.  
  
She could see that they were outnumbered and they were easily losing. The Acolytes along with the X-men were too strong for all of them too fight.  
  
Wanda was knocked unconscious on the ground while Lance tried to protect her and fight Gambit at the same time.  
  
"I can't use my powers!" She yelled to Mystique who asked her to do something already.  
  
Mystique groaned, ran over to her and they both stood back to back, fighting of the x men, who were attacking and defeating them with ease.  
  
Juggernaut easily grabbed Rogue by the neck as he flung Mystique through the wall with his arm. Rogue tried to fight back as she struggled for air. "I'll snap you like a twig." He hissed as she passed out.  
  
The X-men and Acolytes retreated as they carried Rogue's limp body back into their jet and flew away.  
  
"No!" Pietro yelled angrily as he ran after them.  
  
"Pietro let them go!" Mystique ordered sternly as she stood up from the ruble on top of her; the rest of them regrouping, carrying those who were unconscious. Mystique looked back at the house and frowned as if it was the one thing that mattered the most at this moment. It was torn, worse than before. It was catching fire easily and nothing was left to salvage.  
  
"That is your daughter out there! How can you let them take her?" He yelled furiously.  
  
"I know who that is." Mystique said quietly, glaring at him.  
  
"What do we do now, yo?" Todd asked as he hopped after Mystique who was leading all of them back to the house.  
  
"We wait and we see what happens." She answered, her smile sinister, hiding a secret that only see and the rogue knew of.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
  
  
Rogue struggled as she laid on the cold floor, the brace around her neck attached to a chain in the wall.  
  
"Some way to treat your guests." She mumbled. She was sure that the professor was watching, presumably through the glass door.  
  
"If you had just listened to the professor in the beginning. Then this wouldn't have happened." Scott said as he stepped out of the darkness.  
  
"Well, well, if it isn't Xavier's number one lackey." She hissed as she glared at Scott.  
  
"I am nobody's lackey." He retorted.  
  
"Are you sure about that?" Rogue asked. She watched him curiously, an odd amused expression on her face.  
  
Scott didn't answer.  
  
"How long have I been here?" She asked, looking around the room that didn't seem to end.  
  
"Two days." Scott replied. "Rogue, we don't want to hurt you but the professor said-"  
  
"I don't care what Xavier said. He lied. Your girlfriend should know. She's been planning this with him all along. Xavier's first student." Rogue scoff as she stood up to face Scott.  
  
"We're not doing anything wrong. We're trying to protect you from hurting everyone, and yourself." He insisted.  
  
"You're trying to protect yourself alright but for all the wrong reasons and from the wrong person." She said.  
  
"I'm on the good side. You were once too." Scott declared. "You still have a chance to come back."  
  
"I believed I was on the good side. I was told that I was." She whispered.  
  
She was playing mind games with him. He could see. She was doing it like the professor had warned them.  
  
"We're not deliberately doing this to hurt you." He insisted firmly. "Do you think that Kurt would hurt you because he wanted to? He had no choice. The professor told us you were the last key. The key that would release Apocalypse and as much as we care about you, we just can't let you go."  
  
Rogue smiled darkly. "Kurt doesn't understand. Neither do you."  
  
"You're talking in riddles." He said irately.  
  
"Why don't you make a guess then? Wait, let's ask the professor. I'm sure he knows." Rogue laughed as if mad.  
  
"She's losing it." Jean declared as she, Kurt and Kitty walked into the room.  
  
"I'm the sanest and most clear minded person in this room." Rogue laughed again, ignoring Kurt's presence. "You're all fools. You two especially." She said as she glared at Jean and Scott.  
  
The door swooshed open and Professor and Logan walked in, first shrouded by the darkness and then appearing into the light.  
  
"Hello, Rogue." Xavier said darkly as he approached her, still in his chair.  
  
"Xavier." She grinned as she tilted her head, watching Logan curiously. "You want to share something with us Wolverine?" She asked; her voice lighthearted as if she was enjoying this.  
  
Jean watched her suspiciously.  
  
Logan sniffed the air around him, frowning as he caught her scent. "This isn't Rogue." He growled as he stepped closer to Rogue who stood proudly in front of all of them.  
  
"Big boy's catching on." She snickered, her voice returning to its original sound.  
  
"Mystique!" Scott hissed with frustration.  
  
"That's right." She laughed. "Remember this Xavier, my daughter and I will always be a dozen steps ahead of you." She said darkly as she stepped as close as she could to Xavier.  
  
The professor shook his head in disgust and anger, enraged that they had been fooled.  
  
"And you're already too late." Mystique said in a sing song voice as the ground shook beneath all of them.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: OKAY, I KNOW IT WAS HORRIBLE BUT I HAD T GET IT GOING. ANYWAY, GIVE ME MORE IDEAS. IM PRETTY SURE YOU KNOW WHAT MYSTIQUE MEANT WHEN SHE SAID THAT THEY WERE ALL TOO LATE. 


	10. note to readers

A/N: Before, I start, I'd like to apologize because this isn't a chapter and you're probably thinking, what the hell? So, I'm sorry but I need help.  
  
Ok, here's the deal. I got an idea but I can't write it down unless I have some facts because I'd look completely stupid if I wrote something and it didn't make sense. Anyway, I need some help so please try answering some of these questions.  
  
  
  
How does Apocalypse make someone into one of his horsemen? Give me details. Can he give powers to someone and if he does, how? What exactly are his powers? I did some research on him, and it was kind of vague. How tall is Apocalypse exactly? Is it true that he lived during the time of King Ramsey? Does anyone know how old Mystique is? What are Apocalypse's horsemen's names? Does anyone want another pairing besides Rogue and Pietro because I'll add it if you want. Who knows all the names of the guys in the Acolytes? I only remember two. Who was that guy again who made the sentinels? I just heard his name today and I forgot. Who has an idea of how to get Mystique out of the Xavier institute? I'll probably figure that out but your ideas always inspire me.  
  
I'd also like to apologize for all the spelling errors and getting Colossus and Juggernaut mixed up. I just thought of a big guy in armor and Juggernaut's name came up. I was deprived of sleep but I couldn't stop because I had an idea going and I didn't want to lose it or wait in the morning and I knew you guys were waiting for the next update. I would have felt bad if I didn't post it up when I had it down. Anyway, sorry again.  
  
If you have suggestions, brilliant ideas you'd like to contribute, feel free because I'm starting see a big writer's block coming my way.  
  
And to make up for not posting the next chapter, I'll try my best to make the next one more interesting and longer.  
  
Thanks for all the reviews. It really helped. I'll update as soon as possible. Thanks again.  
  
Your author, Kat  
  
P.s. I know I suck for not knowing these details but since I have never written X-men fics before and I haven't watched it since I was a kid and just started watching X-men: Evolution, humor me okay. 


	11. chapter eleven

A/N: THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS. IT REALLY HELPED. I KINDA RAN OUT OF IDEAS FOR THIS CHAPTER BUT HERE IT IS. I FINALLY GOT IT AT TWO IN THE MORNING. LOL. THAT WAS A LOT OF LONG REVIEWS BUT I APPRECIATE IT.  
  
ANYWAY, SOMEONE ASKED IF ROGUE HAD TO CHANGE INTO ORDER TO USE ANOTHER MUTANTS POWER, THE ANSWER IS NO. SHE CAN CHANGE IF SHE WANTS AND SHE CAN ALSO USE THAT POWER WITHOUT CHANGING.  
  
OKAY, SO HERE'S CHAPTER ELEVEN OR WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TEN. HOPE YOU LIKE IT. ENJOY.  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
Rogue stood in the middle of the street where cars were abandoned, some crashed into others while the rest were flipped over or just left running. A fire hydrant had exploded and water was spraying everywhere while a nearby building was scorched by hot, live fire.  
  
"No." She whispered as she tried to think of what to do next. She could hear sirens everywhere, people screaming and shouting, babies and children crying, women weeping.  
  
A helicopter was flying overhead, probably a news chopper.  
  
"So, this is the end of the world, huh, yo?" Todd asked and everyone shot him a disapproving look. Somehow, he still managed to be annoying despite the circumstances.  
  
"So, what do we do now?" Wanda asked as she stood next to Rogue.  
  
Rogue sighed, shaking her head. "I honestly don't know." She answered.  
  
It was terrifying to know that Apocalypse had finally risen and he now had his horsemen destroying the world. What was worse was that she was left to lead the rest of them to what is presumably their last battle.  
  
"What do we do now?" Lance asked.  
  
"I guess we start salvaging what is left of Bayville." Rogue answered.  
  
"What about Mystique?"  
  
"She can take care of herself." Wanda answered for Rogue.  
  
"Do you think they would-?"  
  
"No." Rogue said firmly. "They wouldn't. Not even with everything they've done." Whatever their differences were, she still had faith in the X-men. They weren't ruthless murderers. At least she hoped so.  
  
Lance nodded, skeptical.  
  
"Speak of the devils." Pietro muttered and not far away, they could the X- men approaching, with the Acolytes right next to them.  
  
"Look, what you've done, Rogue!" The professor declared furiously but there was more fear in his voice than anger.  
  
Rogue shook her head, glowering at all of them.  
  
"Millions of people are dying and more will die and you are responsible for it all." Jean said angrily as she approached Rogue.  
  
"Back off, Ms. Perfect or I'll snap that finger of yours and shove it up your--" Rogue hissed as she glared at Jean.  
  
"Enough!" Lance interrupted angrily. "Rogue didn't release Apocalypse. Mesmero did." He explained.  
  
"Just like the Brotherhood to lie for his team mate." Scott mumbled.  
  
"What did you say?" Pietro interjected.  
  
"You heard me." Scott retorted defiantly.  
  
"Shut up! All of you. Rogue didn't release Apocalypse. She never left Bayville." Wanda declared.  
  
"Liar." Jean muttered.  
  
"Watch it, red, or you won't live to see tomorrow with that little attitude of yours." Wanda warned dangerously.  
  
"Don't count on it." Jean replied just as venomously.  
  
Wanda scoffed as she gave Jean a threatening look. "If I can beat your whole team, what makes you think you stand a chance against me?"  
  
Jean's resilient façade wavered and the Brotherhood could see a flicker of doubt in her eyes as she tried to think of something nasty to reply.  
  
"Whatever." She muttered, feeling completely dumb.  
  
"Thought so."  
  
"So, tell me, what are you here for? To kill all of us of to save your precious world?" Rogue asked, as she crossed her arms in front of her, an impatient look on her face.  
  
"Both." Magneto declared as he glanced at his Acolytes, giving them a ready signal.  
  
"But first tell us why you would do something like this." Xavier insisted.  
  
"I didn't do anything! How many times to we have to say that until all of you get it?" Rogue replied angrily.  
  
"You are the last key, Rogue. You must have released him. You are responsible for that." Xavier argued. "With your new mutant powers, you could possibly have released him by just thinking about it."  
  
Rogue frowned, rolling her eyes at how absurd Xavier's reasoning was. "You know, professor, for a smart man, you're very foolish to believe in something so impossible." Rogue smirked.  
  
"It's not impossible." Scott insisted angrily.  
  
"Right."  
  
"Are we here to argue ourselves dry or are we here to fight?" Pietro asked impatiently over all of them.  
  
"Pietro has a point. Acolytes, you know what to do. Destroy the girl." Magneto ordered and Gambit, Pyro, Colossus, Sabertooth, and Mastermind.  
  
Rogue readied herself for an attack as Pyro sent a wave flames towards her, Gambit a whole deck of explosive cards and Colossus tackled her.  
  
Mastermind stood next to Magneto as he tried to enter rogue's mind but the mental blocked that she had learned to create proved to be more powerful than he had expected.  
  
Colossus sent Rogue flying across the street, through a wall of a nearby building. A few moments later, she stood up, visibly unharmed.  
  
"Is that all you've got?" She asked mockingly as she dashed towards him; half running and half flying; pounded his chest with her bare fists and dented the metal that was his skin.  
  
Colossus groaned as he stumbled back, his hand clutched to his chest, feeling as if his heart stopped beating.  
  
"Well, well, cherie, you're quite the fighter." Gambit smirked as he threw decks of cards at Rogue easily evaded them with Pietro's demon speed.  
  
Rogue glared as she back flipped towards Gambit, kicked him in the chest, sending him sprawled on the ground. "You don't even know what I'm capable of."  
  
"Need any help?" Pietro yelled as he fought of Nightcrawler and Iceman.  
  
"Got it covered!" Rogue replied as she took a quick glance at all of them. The Brotherhood was fighting every member of the X-men except for Xavier who seemed to find it convenient to stand next to Mastermind and just watch from the Blackbird.  
  
Magneto floated towards Rogue, sent every piece of metal towards her but she repelled them, sending them flying towards him instead, knocking him over.  
  
Storm flew overheard, her silver hair whipping around her face as she conjured up a strong current of wind, feeling the prickles of a lightning bolt on her fingertips. She looked down at the war raging beneath her and aimed bolts of strong lightning down at the Brotherhood members.  
  
They all fell to the ground, either groaning from the pain or unconscious. Rogue was last to be hit and she was steadying herself with her hand, clutching her stomach. The pain from the lightning bolt felt almost unbearable. She had felt every spark of energy pass through her body, shocking her nerves into spasms.  
  
She groaned, her hands shaking. She looked over at her teammates and they were all sprawled on the ground, even Wanda. Before Rogue could counter their attack, Pyro stood up and created an enormous flame that circled around her. Jean moved next and shaped a dome shield above Rogue, preventing her from escaping and the fire spreading anywhere else. Evan shot spikes next, forming a second barrier.  
  
Rogue coughed, feeling weak from the dizzying smoke around her, the previous bolt of lightning and from the heat of the fire that was closing in.  
  
"So, you're going to suffocate me to death." She hissed but no one heard her as she slammed her fists on the ground beneath her.  
  
The earth shook violently, creating cracks all over the asphalt street. The X-men were caught off guard and Jean's shield wavered and rogue was able to escape.  
  
She rose up into the air, flying at a violent speed towards Storm and attacked her. Rogue grabbed the other woman by the throat, pressed one hand above Storm's heart and sent a voltage so powerful that Rogue felt the heart stop beating. "You don't mess with my friends and not pay for it." She hissed.  
  
Rogue let go of Storm, letting her dropped unaided and unconscious towards the ground to meet her death.  
  
Fortunately, Jean telepathetically lowered her to safety.  
  
"Professor, she's not breathing!" Jean yelled as she loomed over Storm.  
  
"You killed her!" Scott yelled angrily as he aimed at Rogue but she ducked and sprinted towards him.  
  
Rogue had almost reached Scott when Wolverine leapt in between them, outstretched his claws just before any of them realized what had happened.  
  
Wolverine looked at Rogue in slightly disbelief as his adamantium claws dripped with fresh blood. The claws existed through her back, still smeared with blood. Rogue's blood. "Rogue." He whispered.  
  
Rogue looked up at Wolverine with shaky breath, her eyes blinking once in a while from the pain that came from the three enormous wounds in her stomach and back. She was slumped towards him, her hands on his shoulders as her knees gave way and Logan pulled out his claws.  
  
She almost yelled as she felt the sharp metals exit her body.  
  
"What have I done?" Logan managed to whisper as he tried to hold her up, her blood soaking his uniform.  
  
"No!" Pietro yelled when he gained consciousness again and realized what had occurred. He dashed towards them, pushing Logan away from Rogue. He almost stumbled from the shock as he, like the others stopped to watch Pietro cradle Rogue in his arms.  
  
"You're okay." Pietro whispered, brushing her hair from her face.  
  
Rogue nodded as she swallowed, her body trembling. She looked up at him as hot tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. "It hurts." She gasped from the pain of trying to talk, trying to breathe.  
  
"Hey, you're okay. You got these new powers, remember? You can heal yourself." He said, his voice shaky, betraying him.  
  
"I....don't...think so." She gasped again. "The wounds are too big, and I don't know how....how to heal... myself. I haven't..learned....learned that yet."  
  
Pietro shook his head furiously as he held her tighter. "Don't you dare die." He said, almost begging her.  
  
"Pietro.."  
  
"Rogue, please." He whispered as he swallowed his tears and kissed her on the forehead. Her hand reached up to his, holding it tightly as she tried to breathe. Her hands felt cold in his and he shut his eyes, praying for this not to happen.  
  
"I want to tell you something." She whispered weakly in his ear. "I...." her voice faded and her body grew still in Pietro's arms.  
  
"No!" He whimpered and he started to rock hysterically, Rogue still in his arms. Everything seemed to grow still and quiet as he sobbed for her to open her eyes and say something. But nothing came and she didn't move.  
  
Her sat there for the longest time just holding her; Rogue's body soaked with her own blood, the crimson liquid dripping on the asphalt, forming a small pool around them.  
  
Pietro, lost in his pain and hysterics failed to notice the four strangers that had joined them and took Rogue from his arms.  
  
Everyone watched in stunned silence. No one moved to stop the strangers. They were all too lost in their thoughts, too absorbed in grief to utter a sound and dare to break the sadness that had shrouded them.  
  
Perhaps, they were angels taking her away. No one knew and no one bothered to ask.  
  
Kitty let out a sob and Kurt put his arm around her shoulder, holding back the tears that were meant for his sister.  
  
Jean looked away as she tried to distract herself by taking care of the still unconscious Storm.  
  
Scott, beside Evan, watched in shocked disbelief, his face contorted between confusion, sadness and relief.  
  
Logan was crouched down on the ground as he watched with palpable guilt. He looked down at his hands that were smeared and stained with Rogue's blood. He had killed her. He took the life of the girl that was like a daughter to him.  
  
Magneto, disgusted and bothered by the scene, shook his head disapprovingly at Pietro's outburst and turned away and left, followed by his wounded Acolytes into the Blackbird where Xavier had previously gone to.  
  
He had just missed Death carry Rogue away further and further away.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Mystique watched Kurt as he entered her prison room quietly, his face turned to the ground. When he lifted his head to meet her eyes, she knew.  
  
"No." Mystique said, breaking the stony silence that had fallen over them. Her word seemed to echo into the room. She waited for him to say something, to tell her she was wrong but the rapid beating of her heart and the dreadful feeling in her gut told her that she was dead on.  
  
Kurt cast his eyes down, his face grim. "Mystique, I'm sorry." He said.  
  
She watched him in disbelief. "She was your sister."  
  
Kurt sighed, pacing nervously around the room.  
  
"Are you happy now?" Mystique asked, her voice shaking with anger and pain.  
  
Kurt looked up. "How can you ask me that?" He replied, insulted and hurt.  
  
"It's what you wanted. The plan was to destroy her, wasn't it?" Her voice was filled with venom. She wanted desperately to lash out, to hurt this boy that was her son, who seemed who unaffected by their tragedy.  
  
"I never wanted this to happen. God, she was my sister! I loved her!" He defended himself.  
  
"If you really did love her, you would never have gone against Rogue." Mystique declared.  
  
"I had no choice." He whispered lamely.  
  
"Yes, you did!" She yelled. "You watched and listened to the plans your precious x-men plotted against her! You knew from the beginning that they wanted to hurt her! And still you remained here! You betrayed her."  
  
"No." Kurt declared.  
  
Mystique sighed as she held back her tears. One thing she couldn't do was cry. Not now, not in front of Kurt who betrayed Rogue, betrayed his own family. "I want to see her."  
  
"You can't." Kurt replied.  
  
"I just lost my daughter and you're going to still keep me prisoner?" She asked, her eyes demanding for an answer immediately. "How could you?"  
  
"I would take you to Rogue but someone took her."  
  
"Who?" Mystique demanded, her face contorting from panic.  
  
"I don't know. I've never seen them before." He stated lamely.  
  
"How many? And you didn't stop them?"  
  
Kurt shook his head. "Four. We...no..we didn't."  
  
"Let me out and I'll find her." Mystique declared. "For the first time in your life, do something right." She said before Kurt could protest or make excuses on why he couldn't get her out.  
  
Kurt nodded; sighing deeply as he approached her, picked the lock to the chain around her neck and teleported her out of there.  
  
How sad that Rogue's death was what gave him courage to do something reasonable.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: OKAY, DON'T HATE ME. YOU'LL GET ROGUE BACK. I'M GUESSING YOU KNOW WHO THE FOUR STRANGERS ARE. I PUT A LOT OF HINTS IN THERE. I KNOW ITS KIND OF STRANGE WHY NO ONE STOPPED THEM FROM TAKING HER BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT MOST OF THE BROTHERHOOD (EXCEPT FOR PIETRO WHO WAS DELIRIOUS) WERE UNCONSCIOUS FROM BEING LIGHTNING STRUCK BY STORM, THE X-MEN WERE CRYING, GRIEVING, WHATEVER. AND MAGNETO, XAVIER AND ACOLYTES WERE IN THE BLACKBIRD, OBVIOUSLY CELEBRATING. I HOPE IT MADE SENSE. TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. 


	12. chapter twelve

A/N: OK, GUYS, I FORGOT TO WRITE THIS DOWN ON CHAPTER ELEVEN BUT WHEN I ASKED IF YOU WANTED ANOTHER PAIRING, I DIDN'T MEAN I WAS GOING TO CHANGE THE RIETRO. WHAT I MEANT WAS IF YOU WANTED ANOTHER PAIRING ASIDE FROM RIETRO.  
  
ALSO, THIS MIGHT BE MY LAST UPDATE FOR THIS YEAR. I'LL STILL CONTINUE IT BUT THAT'S LIKELY GOING TO BE AFTER NEW YEAR. WE'LL SEE. IT DEPENDS ON HOW MANY PEOPLE UPDATE. I FIGURED THAT MOST OF YOU WOULD LEAVE FOR THE HOLIDAYS. ANYWAY, IF I DO DECIDE TO POST ANOTHER CHAPTER, THE LAST ONE WILL PROBABLY BE ON CHRISTMAS DAY OR THE DAY AFTER SINCE I'LL BE GONE ON WEDNESDAY TILL AFTER NEW YEAR. I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO. SORRY.  
  
ANYWAY, THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS. ENJOY.  
  
~*~  
  
Lance stood quietly in the middle of the street, his hands in his pockets as he looked down at the cracked asphalt. His boots laid near the dark stain on ground.  
  
This part of town was blocked off, unused since it was too damaged. The city did not even bother to try to repair it. Nothing was left to salvage there.  
  
Nothing at all.  
  
He sighed and shut his eyes tightly, feeling a shiver run down his spine. He could still see it clearly, Pietro on the ground with a bloody Rogue in his arms.  
  
He cringed as the memory replayed in his mind. Everything seemed clear and he could still see Logan's claws go through Rogue. He could still hear Rogue whimpering from the pain and Pietro sobbing openly as he begged her told hold on just a little longer. He remembered there was a lot of blood; blood on Logan's hands and clothes; on Pietro from holding her, on the ground.  
  
The memory made him shudder as he backed away from the spot where she died, as if burned.  
  
"On this spot, we lost you." Lance thought sadly. He sighed heavily, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall.  
  
That was two months ago. Two months since she took her last breath and died in the arms of the boy who loved her and never got the chance to let her know. Two months since Rogue died by the hands of the man who was her friend.  
  
Nothing was the same after that.  
  
Wanda returned to hunting Magneto down, more ruthless than ever.  
  
Todd almost got hurt from trying to stop her but in the end he relented and let her go. They all did.  
  
Blob went on a hunger strike for a month until he passed out and was brought to the hospital. He was back in the Brotherhood house, a few pounds lighter and still grieving.  
  
Mystique walked in and out of their lives, creeping on the streets of Bayville, looking for the body of her daughter. Everyone assumed that she had gone insane from looking for Rogue. She had long explained to them that they bury their own. That Rogue deserved a proper funeral. But the body was never found and Mystique just vanished.  
  
Kurt had earlier freed her from the X-men and on Mystique's insistence he tried to live with the Brotherhood. That didn't last long however because everyone was hostile to him, Lance included. A few weeks later, he went back to Xavier.  
  
Whatever friendship or truce they once called with some of the X members was gone now, whatever friendships that could have been made were now impossible to even think of. They were all mortal enemies from that point on.  
  
They heard that Logan lost his mind from the guilt of killing Rogue and tried to hang himself. Xavier later put him in an asylum.  
  
The Acolytes left too, probably went back to their secret hide out. Wherever that was.  
  
And as for Pietro, he went into a rage after she died, attacking any X-men member that he saw on the street, going after them in the night, hunting them like animals. He once tried to kill Logan but something stopped him. No one knew what but he just could not bring himself to do it. He also tried to burn the X mansion but he gained nothing from any of it. The X- men still lived. After five futile attempts of eliminating their enemy, he stopped and for two weeks, he sat in his room and cried and barely slept. When he did sleep, he was haunted by nightmares. A month after Rogue's death, Pietro just packed his things and left. He didn't say good bye to any of them; didn't explain where he was headed. He just opened the door and walked out of their lives, probably for good.  
  
Lance hoped that someday Pietro would come back, and Mystique too.  
  
He sighed again. It seemed that Xavier was right. By eliminating Rogue, they stopped Apocalypse. When she died, the Horsemen's attacks stopped and everything started to fall back into place.  
  
No one heard about Apocalypse or his Horsemen again. And no one bothered to question it.  
  
It didn't seem right that Rogue had to die that way, even for humanity's sake.  
  
"I hope you find your peace." Lance whispered in the air as if Rogue could hear him. He then turned back and walked towards the Brotherhood house. He had by default, become their leader and he accepted it, knowing that they needed him.  
  
Nothing was over just yet.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
  
  
Rogue stood in the middle of the desert with her feet hidden in the sand. The wind blew around her, making her dark hair swirl around her face. The sun hung overhead, sending wave of heat on the vast land.  
  
She exhaled, brushing back a strand of ivory hair from her eyes. She looked back at the man beside her. He was dressed in white cotton, his armor suit hidden underneath, his body covered from head to toe.  
  
"Tell me again why we are doing this." She said as she wrapped her head with the same material, covering it from the heat.  
  
"Apocalypse wants to see how resilient you are to harsh conditions." The man answered. They were headed to Cairo to meet with Apocalypse and the three other Horsemen who were waiting for them.  
  
"Ah, the mighty Apocalypse." Rogue mumbled. She wasn't too happy to have her skills tested, to be made to walk in the desert for hours without using her powers and to only rely on human skills.  
  
"You should be grateful. If it were not for him, you would be a corpse right now." He said defensively.  
  
"I am grateful." She rebutted. "But there are so many things that I don't understand. I feel like he's keeping something from me. From us." She squinted her eyes from the sun as she looked at the man named Davan.  
  
He was in his early thirties, black hair, tall, well built, and a little quick-tempered. Everyone called him Death.  
  
"Every great leader has secrets." Davan said gruffly. "It doesn't matter what he is hiding. You know almost everything about him. You know that he gave you his blood so that you would survive the wounds that your own friends inflicted on you. You know that he believes you are one of the most powerful mutants on earth. You know he has every faith in you. In us. We are his horsemen. You are his daughter." He said, pointing a finger at Rogue.  
  
"But-"  
  
"No buts, Rogue. Whether you were born from him or not, Apocalypse is as good as your father. You have his blood in you. You now carry his genes. You were given immortality. No one has ever been granted that honor so easily." Davan declared; his voice firm. "He saved you. End of story."  
  
Rogue nodded silently, a small smile on her tanned face. Boy was the man stubborn.  
  
Davan was right though. She should be grateful despite her confusion. She sighed and continued walking as she tried to think of her cryptic past.  
  
A week ago, she woke up in Egypt with no memory, surrounded by Apocalypse and his for Horsemen.  
  
They had explained everything to her. Her name was Rogue. Mesmero saw her fight, saw her great potential and suggested that Apocalypse recruit her but before that could happen she died in a battle between the X-men, Acolytes and Brotherhood of evil Mutants. They told her that one of the X- men killed her, one of her own friends.  
  
The Horsemen then came to take her away and Apocalypse gave her a blood transfusion. She was placed in stasis until she came out of her coma, which lasted almost two months.  
  
"Are we going to be forever isolated from humanity?" Rogue asked breaking her own train of thought.  
  
Davan growled and looked at her. "What do we need humanity for?" He asked. "They tried to destroy us. They built machines to hunt us down. It's too bad you lost your memory. You were one of their captives."  
  
"But we also try to destroy each other. Mutants alike." She whispered.  
  
"Yes." He said. "Magneto once believed that mutants should stick together. Fight against humanity who has long wished for our extinction." Davan declared somewhat sadly.  
  
"I don't remember him." She said, frowning a little.  
  
"I know. He did believe it once but he sided with an old friend. Xavier. We told you about him. He was the leader of the X-men. He was the one who wanted to destroy you." Davan explained.  
  
Rogue nodded, remembering what they had told him. She held no memories of the X-men or the Acolytes or even the Brotherhood.  
  
She remembered hate though. A lot of hate inside her, for them, especially the X-men. She didn't know why but Xavier's very name made her angry. Perhaps it was because he tried to kill her and succeeded. But that was all she had. Mixed emotions, mostly hatred for an enemy that she couldn't remember.  
  
Everything else was a blank.  
  
Now Apocalypse was training her for the war that they were about to fight against all mutants and humans.  
  
Only the strong will survive, he once told her.  
  
And Rogue agreed completely.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
  
  
Xavier looked out his office window, his face contorted into a frown while his hands were clasped together as if praying.  
  
The door opened and Scott and Jean entered. "You called professor?" Scott said.  
  
Xavier nodded and turned his chair to face them. "Half of Egypt has been destroyed, twelve mutants were killed and four hundred humans wounded or murdered."  
  
"That's horrible." Jean gasped, looking wide eyed and shocked.  
  
"That's not all." Xavier said sighing. "In France more were killed. The capital was wiped out."  
  
"Who could do something like this?" Jean asked.  
  
"Apocalypse." Scott said darkly.  
  
"But he's gone. We eliminated him by killing...killing...her." She stumbled on her words. She couldn't bring herself to say the same.  
  
Uttering it was impossible and everyone in the X mansion avoided having to mention *her* name.  
  
"We eliminated no one. Just her. Apocalypse was still released. He and his Horsemen just stopped attacking." Scott declared. "We only assumed he was gone because we thought...." Scott trailed off sighing.  
  
"Scott is right. Her death did nothing to stop Apocalypse. He was still freed. Why he stopped for two months is beyond me." Xavier spoke up.  
  
"But now he's back." Jean whispered.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What do we do?" Scott asked.  
  
"We stop them." Xavier declared. "We do everything we can, like before."  
  
"Like before?" Scott echoed.  
  
"Like before, Scott." The professor replied. "No matter who dies, we finish this."  
  
"Don't we need back up professor? What about the-"  
  
"We don't need anyone, Scott. The X-men has proved resilient time and time again. We defeated the Rogue, didn't we?"  
  
Scott nodded gloomily. The professor is right. We need no one, he thought. "I'll assemble the team and launch the Blackbird."  
  
Xavier nodded. "It's begun."  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: OK, IN MY OPINION THAT SUCKED. THERE WAS NO ACTION BUT ANYWAY, I NEEDED TO BRING HER BACK. JUST IN CASE IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED: ROGUE DIED AND THE HORSEMEN TOOK HER. APOCALYPSE THEN GAVE HER A TRANSFUSION ENOUGH TO BRING HER BACK. SHE WAS IN A COMA FOR ALMOST TWO MONTHS AND THE WHOLE TIME, THEY KEPT HER IN A STASIS CHAMBER TO HELP HER BREATHE, LIFE SUPPORT. YOU KNOW THE DEAL. ANYWAY, NOW ROGUE IS IMMORTAL. AND SHE HAS NO MEMORY OF WHO SHE WAS. IT'S A SIDE EFFECT TO HER DEATH AND RESSURECTION. I KNOW, I SUCK FOR DOING THAT. I PROMISE IT'LL GET BETTER FOR HER AND PIETRO AND THE BROTHERHOOD.  
  
BY THE WAY, I LOOKED INTO THE WEBSITE THAT SOME OF YOU SUGGESTED AND THIS IS WHAT I DECIDED. DEATH WILL BE ERIC THE RED, ALSO KNOWN AS DAVAN SHAKARI. I PICKED HIM BECAUSE IN EVO WARREN WAS STILL GOOD AND I JUST COULDN'T PICK WOLVERINE. SORRY IF THAT SCREWS UP THE WHOLE THING. I HAVEN'T DECIDED ON FAMINE, WAR AND PESTILENCE YET. AND I HAVEN'T DECIDED IF APOCALYPSE SHOULD TURN ROGUE INTO ONE OF HIS HORSEMEN. I'D LIKE TO KEEP IT JUST FOUR. BESIDES, ROGUE IS MORE POWERFUL NOW THAN EVER. ANYWAY, ILL FIGURE THAT OUT LATER.  
  
ANYWAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK? I'D LIKE SUGGESTIONS.  
  
MORE REVIEWS PLEASE!! 


	13. chapter thirteen

A/N: THIS WILL BE THE LAST CHAPTER UNTIL I GET BACK. SORRY. I WOULD POST UP ANOTHER ONE BUT I DONT HAVE TIME TOMORROW AND I SERIOUSLY DON'T THINK MY BRAIN CAN WORK THAT FAST AND THINK UP A WHOLE CHAPTER. I WASN'T GOING TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER TODAY BUT WHATEVER. I MANAGED. HOPE ITS OKAY. ENJOY.  
  
________________________________________________________________________ Sakhmet: The name of this goddess means the powerful one. She was the daughter of the sun-god, Re, and the wife of Ptah. She is shown with the head of a lioness and the body of a woman, suggesting her great force and power, and her sometimes dangerous nature. She could both bring plagues and protect people from them. In the Age of the Pyramids, Sakhmet was sometimes shown embracing the king, breathing divine life into his nostrils. -A lioness goddess, worshiped in Memphis as the wife of Ptah; created by Re from the fire of his eyes as a creature of vengeance to punish mortals for their sins; later, was transformed into a peaceful goddess of pleasure and happiness ________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
"In Sakhmet's name a goddess will rise, made from the blood of the warrior king, Apocalypse." Destiny announced as she stared at Mystique with her blank eyes.  
  
Mystique listened to Destiny with undivided attention, her face twisted in a glower. "What does it mean?" She asked warily.  
  
"Apocalypse has risen and he will take his toll on the world and by his side, the Powerful One will stand." Destiny continued making no more sense than she did before.  
  
"Is this supposed to help me?" Mystique demanded and Destiny sighed.  
  
"It is to warn you. There will be a great battle and the courage and strength of all humans and mutants will be tested." Destiny explained quietly, her face evident of her concern. She had seen many things and many of them were of calamity and darkness but this one terrified her. There was something strangely familiar about the vision but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.  
  
"What does this have to do with me? I could care less what happens to all of us now." Mystique said impatiently as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other.  
  
"You should care. The world could end Mystique." Destiny replied cryptically.  
  
"Where have I heard that before?" Mystique said sarcastically. Truth be told, she was tired of Destiny's prophecies. The world was about to end a long time ago-when Magneto recruited all the best mutants for his evil plans, when she released Wanda from the asylum, when Rogue's powers escalated but no, the world did not end and all they lost was her daughter's life.  
  
"Beware, Mystique for this creature has the blood of Apocalypse and it is in her nature to destroy." Destiny declared somberly. She had seen the power, felt the rage of the creature called Sakhmet and she was truly afraid.  
  
Mystique nodded, sighing as she pondered on what to do next. "Another war." She said, her voice filled with exasperation. "How many do we have to go through before this is all over?" She whispered as she walked out, not waiting for an answer.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
  
  
Pietro flipped the channel for the fifth time as he kicked an empty soda can off the table. His eyes stung from losing so much sleep but like usual, he chose to be stubborn and stayed awake. Exhaustion was much better than sleeping because when he slept, he had nightmares.  
  
He groaned with frustration when there was nothing to watch. It was all news. Half of Egypt was destroyed; almost all of France too, said the blonde newscaster on TV.  
  
Pietro scoffed. "Who cares if the world is ending, again?" He said to the empty room. He settled on a channel, threw the remote on the table a stood up towards the window. He was in the middle of god knows where Kansas. He'd been moving from town to town for a month now, going nowhere in particular and not caring where it led him.  
  
Hell, why should he care if the world was ending? That people were dying? He had no purpose now but to be some shadow, passing by in town. He lost everything. Rogue, the one person he loved, his sister who he could presumably call crazy since she was still out there, hunting their father; and the Brotherhood who used to be his family until they all broke apart and scattered.  
  
He hated being alone or lonely to be exact but what could he do about it? It was not like he had a choice. He would have stayed with the Brotherhood but watching them and knowing and feeling their sadness was unbearable and it drove him even crazier. A  
  
And he didn't want to be crazy.  
  
Pietro turned back to the television, intending to turn it off but something caught his attention, a small clip that a news chopper caught of the attack in France. There were six people, mutants to be exact but what made him look harder was the creature standing by next to Apocalypse. She wore a mask of a lioness over her face but it was the streak of white hair that made him shiver.  
  
He gasped as his eyes filled with tears, as he fought the urge not to cry.  
  
Christ, he was hallucinating again. It wasn't possible. He had to have seen it wrong but the camera continued to focus and zoom on all the mutants and he saw that despite his horror, he was right.  
  
Without thinking twice, he grabbed his bag and money and headed back to Bayville.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
  
  
"We don't stand a chance against them!" Evan hissed as he winced from his broken arm. They had just come back Italy where Apocalypse and his Horsemen had moved on and continued to destroy. "Especially against that thing." He added as he recalled the image of the lion faced Horseman who proved more powerful than they imagined.  
  
"The woman with the lion mask." Xavier stated. "I tried getting a reading of her but nothing." He said darkly. There was something strange about the woman, something he should be fearful of.  
  
"Nothing?" Jean echoed in surprise. She did not like the tone that the professor was using. It was as if he was losing confidence in his abilities and himself.  
  
"There is a great barrier that protects her mind." Xavier declared. "She's very strong."  
  
"Apocalypse called her Sakhmet." Scott growled angrily as the events of their earlier battle replayed in his mind. Sakhmet had single handedly destroyed a whole city, almost costing them their lives as well.  
  
"Ah. The Egyptian Goddess of both destruction and life." Xavier announced.  
  
"Could the guy get any weirder?" Kurt whispered making fun of the name.  
  
"Don't take this lightly, Kurt." Xavier hissed. "Sakhmet was one of the most powerful Goddesses. If Apocalypse gave her that name, then she must have proven herself worthy."  
  
"He called her his daughter." Jean added. "What does that mean?"  
  
"She could really be his daughter or he just gave her that name because he saw her as the best candidate to follow his lineage." Xavier said. "I don't know but Apocalypse and Sakhmet are our priorities. We destroy them and we have a great chance of stopping all of them."  
  
"But how?" Kurt asked.  
  
Xavier sat quietly as if he had not heard the question. He was lost in thought. Like the rest of his students, he didn't know how to stop Apocalypse.  
  
"Magnus and the Acolytes will aid us." He looked up as he spoke.  
  
"And if we still fail?" Kitty asked skeptically. She did not like the idea of the Acolytes helping them again. Things always tend to end badly with the two groups together.  
  
"We don't fail, Kitty. We never did. Not with....Rogue, not ever." Jean said rather proudly. She wasn't about to let Kitty's doubts take all of them down.  
  
"That's right. We are the X-men. One of the most powerful group of mutants. We will live through this." Scott spoke up, standing next to Jean.  
  
Everyone nodded in agreement. Some of them were incredulous but no one spoke up again.  
  
"Professor?" Kitty asked quietly as she brought to mind the girl whose hair looked exactly like her former dead friend'.  
  
"Yes, Kitty?"  
  
"Was it just me or did the woman in the mask look familiar?" She asked; her voice hesitant. Everyone in the room was watching her and Xavier curiously. Jean was now glaring at her for having the audacity to ask such a question.  
  
Xavier shook his head. "It was just you." He said and he dismissed all of them.  
  
  
  
************************************************************************  
  
  
  
Lance watched in utter astonishment as his friends walked back into the Brotherhood house. Within a week, Mystique, Wanda and Pietro had waltzed back into their lives.  
  
"So, the end of the world brings us all back together again." Todd said as he watched all of them.  
  
"Yeah." Wanda grumbled as she readjusted her gloves and pretended to be busy. Pietro had tracked her and pried her away from her mission which was to search and destroy Magneto. She could almost kill him for interfering but there was something off about Pietro. It worried her.  
  
"So, what's the plan?" Lance asked.  
  
"There is no plan. We destroy our enemies, fight to the death. End of story." Mystique declared offhandedly.  
  
"That doesn't sound too effective." Wanda said as she watched the other woman with caution. They were all walking on eggshells. It has been that way since Rogue died.  
  
"Well, things change. I don't know how to stop Apocalypse. We can stop his Horsemen but Apocalypse is immortal. We could always put him in another dimension but then again we don't have the machine to do that." She said shrugging her shoulders. She didn't really care about it. It peeved her why suddenly the burden of saving the world was placed on her shoulders. She didn't ask for this. It certainly was not part of her plan or her job. Her purpose was to infiltrate government agencies like the FBI, CIA not save the world. She was a terrorist, for crying out loud.  
  
Mystique didn't want to be here, didn't want to be in the place where Rogue lived until the bitter end, didn't want to see the unhappy faces of the people who were her friends, didn't want to remember. But there was a war to fight and duty called as much as she hated it.  
  
There was no rest for the wicked or the damned, in their case.  
  
"The X-men has it in the mansion. Remember when those T-rex thingies attacked Bayville High? Well, that's how they got here, yo." Todd said.  
  
Mystique nodded. "Good thinking, Toad. Now, we need one of you to go in there and steal it."  
  
"I'll do it. I'm the fastest and their censors can barely detect me. When it does, I'm usually out of the mansion by then." He said.  
  
"Be careful." Lance said.  
  
"Like I ever listen to you." He smirked fondly and ran towards the X mansion.  
  
Lance smiled back and then turned to the rest of his team mates. "So, we stand a chance after all." He said and they all shrugged apprehensively.  
  
"Maybe we do." Mystique said as she looked out the door where Pietro had ran off too. She hoped Lance was right.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
************************************************************************  
  
A.N: I WAS GOING TO NAME ROGUE CHAOS LIKE EMPEROR'S SISTER SUGGESTED. THAT WAS MY PLAN BUT I THOUGHT OF APOCALYPSE'S HISTORY AND I FOUND THAT IF HE NAMED HER AFTER AN EGYPTIAN GODDESS, IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE. IN MY OPINION, IT JUST SUITS THE SCENARIO BETTER PLUS I LIKE THE GODDESS' POWER AND ROLE.  
  
ANYWAY, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. REVIEWS PLEASE.  
  
OH, AND BEFORE I FORGET, MERRY CHRISTMAS. ILL SEE ALL OF YOU IN THE NEW YEAR.  
  
THANX. 


	14. chapter fourteen

A/N: I'M SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER BUT MY MUSE DECIDED TO GO ON A STRIKE AND I COULDN'T COME UP WITH ANY IDEAS UNTIL NOW. TO MAKE UP FOR MAKING YOU GUYS WAIT FOR SO LONG, I MADE THIS CHAPTER EXTRA LONGER, I THINK. ANYWAY, HOPE YOU LIKE IT. I APPREACIATE THE REVIEWS. THANKS. ENJOY.  
  
~*~  
  
The two figures stood on top of the Empire State building, looking down at the whole of New York. The larger one, Apocalypse smiled as his four Horsemen wrecked havoc in various parts of the city.  
  
He could see smoke rising in the air, followed by enormous fires, engulfing buildings, then blocks. From where they stood, Ellis Island appeared like hell, engulfed in flames that seemed to have a life of its own.  
  
Below them, chaos ensued. Fire trucks ran from one direction to another, sirens shrilling over the noise and haste. Cop cars broke speed limits, chasing undefeatable enemies.  
  
Apocalypse chuckled, amused by the humanity's careless effort to save itself. His laughter then stopped as he turned to look at the other figure next to him.  
  
Sakhmet.  
  
"This was your home once, until the people who claimed to care about you turned against you." He declared and Sakhmet looked at him with interest in her eyes but her face was devoid of any emotion.  
  
The cold, biting wind whipped around her, making her shiver but she refused to complain. She had to prove herself to Apocalypse.  
  
This was the greatest test so far. There was a great possibility that she would regain her memory and then she would have to decide whose side she really was on. Apocalypse had warned her that she would be torn between him and her old family. A part of her would care despite their betrayal.  
  
She turned her gaze towards New York. There was something she disliked about the city, perhaps a bad feeling because of the fact that her old self lived and died here.  
  
"I'll make them pay." She said. Her proclamation barely held any emotion in it. It was a statement, devoid of anger or resentment. It wasn't even a threat. It was as if she was stating a mere fact. Nothing to it.  
  
Apocalypse nodded in approval. He was waiting for her to show him her great power, waiting for her to unleash her wrath on one of America's greatest city, waiting for her to destroy humanity for good.  
  
He knew that she was capable of it. In fact she was capable of anything, even overpowering him but he wouldn't let her have that knowledge. That would be reckless.  
  
Sakhmet took his nod as a go and she floated off the building, rising higher and higher into the clouds. She raised her arms around her summoning the elements of the sky. Wind surrounded her, chilling her to the bones, whirling around her until it formed a tornado. Then she called for rain and rain fell heavily on New York. The rain froze and snow followed turning into a blizzard.  
  
The city of lights was covered by wet slippery snow, freezing almost half the city. When Sakhmet saw that Apocalypse was the least bit impressed, she turned to the Hudson River, dipped her hands into the water, turning it into hot, molten magma.  
  
Apocalypse grinned.  
  
Better.  
  
Sakhmet moved to the streets, joining War as he turned a building into a pile of smoldering ashes.  
  
Cop cars surrounded them, rifles aimed at their heads, ready to be fired. There were at least four dozen police vehicles, one HASMAT team, four ambulances, and two fire trucks waiting.  
  
"Surrender now or we will fire!" The chief of police yelled through his megaphone.  
  
"Fun time." War chuckled as he looked over at Sakhmet.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
The Brotherhood arrived in time to witness what appeared to be a showdown between the New York police and two of the Horsemen. One of them they recognized as the lion-headed figure.  
  
"Not good." Mystique declared to the rest of her team. The police had the two figures cornered to a building but neither looked threatened. The X- men's Blackbird was looming overhead, unloading its members and the Acolytes.  
  
"Great. They're just in time." Lance said sarcastically, also noticing their ever hated adversaries' arrival.  
  
"Yo, is it me or does the river look like magma?" Todd asked as he craned his neck to get a better view of the Hudson River.  
  
"It's magma." Wanda said flatly. She rolled her eyes at Todd. Sometimes his curiosity was so out place. Instead, he should be thinking of how powerful their enemies were considering that they were capable of turning the river into lava.  
  
"So, who do we fight first? The X freaks or Apocalypse?" Wanda asked, turning to Mystique.  
  
"I suggest you avoid the X-men and Acolytes. They are the least of your worries. We'll deal with them later, if we make it out of this." She said.  
  
"Okay, boss." Lance said with a sigh.  
  
They were waiting for the War and Sakhmet to strike. And as if on cue, Sakhmet rose just high above the crowd. With her magnetic powers, she took the rifles, and guns from the police, aimed it at the sky and fired.  
  
Bullets rained over everyone and bystanders who were curiously watching started to panic. The crowd screamed, people ran from one direction to the other, creating more confusion. The police held their ground taking cover inside their vehicles.  
  
Some people were hit, many fell to the ground. In their panic, the police called for more back up for the people and the officers that went down.  
  
War charged at the police while Sakhmet dropped the guns on the ground. And in a heartbeat, she raised the cars high above the air and sent it plummeting to the ground. They landed in a haze of fire, exploding the moment they reached the asphalt.  
  
Mystique and the Brotherhood gasped in sheer terror at what they had just witnessed. The creature called Sakhmet was ruthless, cruel at best; having no pity for the lives it so easily destroyed.  
  
"We're going to have to kill that one first before we win this war and it won't be easy." Mystique declared as she pointed at Sakhmet.  
  
Pietro looked at her hesitantly. He had to be sure if that was Rogue but by the way Sakhmet fought and destroyed those people, he was beginning to doubt himself. Rogue was never that merciless.  
  
"I say we better help them now or we won't stand a chance after she destroys the whole police force." Lance suggested and Mystique nodded in approval. They ran quickly to where Sakhmet and War were.  
  
They fought head to head with War while Sakhmet was in the air, destroying a marine Cobra helicopter with her bare hands. The helicopter went down in a second, along with its crew.  
  
The Brotherhood watched as Scott took a shot at Sakhmet who didn't seem the least bit affected.  
  
She turned around to face Scott and the rest of the X-men who had grouped together with the Acolytes. Each one of them took turns taking a shot at her.  
  
"Well, I guess we should join them." Wanda declared.  
  
"Join with the enemy?" Lance asked angrily.  
  
"If we want to survive this, we have no choice!" Mystique yelled over the sounds of gunfire aimed at Sakhmet and War.  
  
Lance groaned with frustration as he realized that Wanda and Mystique were right. If they wanted to win this, they would have to call a truce and fight their most common enemy. "Fine!" He yelled grudgingly.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
An hour later, the X-men, Acolytes and Brotherhood remained standing while they continue to fight. Many of them were bruised, wounded and barely standing but they all stood their ground.  
  
The Horsemen and Sakhmet had regrouped, becoming stronger as they fought together.  
  
"You don't stand a chance against us!" Sakhmet roared as she descended from the air and stood in front of all of them, her small but powerful army of four behind her.  
  
Apocalypse was watching and waiting.  
  
"Not here to talk!" Mystique yelled as she charged. Pyro and Gambit followed suit, shooting fire and explosive cards at their enemy.  
  
The rest of the mutants charged at whatever Horsemen stood in their way. After what seemed like a lifetime of shooting, yelling, bruises, and wounds, the Horsemen were taken down and Sakhmet was left standing.  
  
"We have her cornered!" Lance yelled triumphantly to everyone.  
  
Sakhmet laughed at what looked like a feeble army of desperate mutants. "Is that all you've got?" She sneered, her voice hoarse and powerful.  
  
"No, we have more!" Scott yelled as he ordered everyone to take their positions and attack.  
  
What looked like an intricate plan of attack ensued. First Shadowcat, Nightcrawler, Pyro, Colossus, and Multiplicity charged, circling around Sakhmet; leaving her little time to take them down.  
  
Mystique, Gambit, Evan, Cyclops, Jean, Magneto, Quicksilver, Lance, Wanda and the rest followed as back up.  
  
They circled around Sakhmet, fighting the best they could. She looked untouched as she countered their attacks. Suddenly, out of nowhere Logan pushed past them and charged at her, taking her by surprise and sending both of them sprawled on the pavement.  
  
Sakhmet growled as she felt Wolverine's arms around her while her shoulder collided with the pavement, grazing it.  
  
That was when she sensed it; a shiver down her spine, making the hair on the back of neck stand up. It was that moment that pure hatred filled her and she shrieked in pain as her small body started to morph into that of Sabertooth's.  
  
Her now enlarge hands circled and grabbed Wolverine off of her, throwing him against the wall of a nearby building.  
  
Primitive instincts filled her as she stood up in her new mutant male body. "Wolverine." She hissed. All she could think was ripping him into pieces.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"Oh my God." Pietro gasped as he and everyone else watched Sakhmet morph into Sabertooth.  
  
No one hear him heard or waited for him to speak. They moved on and continued with their fight.  
  
Wolverine and Sakhmet, now in Sabertooth's form charged at each other, scratching, kicking and trying to weaken each other.  
  
Suddenly Wolverine was on top of Sakhmet and without batting an eye; he sank his claws just below her ribs.  
  
Sakhmet gasped as she started to change into every person that she had touched as Rogue and then lastly, with her lion mask lost when she became Sabertooth, her body started to decrease in size and she was Rogue again.  
  
Everyone halted as the events from before replayed in their minds and they were brought back to their guilt, and shame and sadness again.  
  
From the small and beaten crowd of mutants, Mystique screamed, "NO!" as she rushed towards her daughter who was laying, half conscience, with Logan's claws still embedded in her.  
  
She shoved Logan from her, who was frozen in horror and picked up Rogue from the rubble that they were fighting on.  
  
"I didn't know." Mystique said painfully as she planted a kiss on her daughter's forehead.  
  
With tears in her eyes, she looked down at Sakhmet or to be more precise, Rogue. She still looked the same but her skin was darker than before and her face was bruised and cut from the battle.  
  
With confused eyes, Sakhmet moved her head to look at Mystique. "You are my enemy." She choked as blood gushed from her mouth and she coughed.  
  
Mystique shook her head. "I'm your mother." She whispered and Sakhmet coughed again.  
  
Her head rolled back as her eyes turned white and memories of her long dead past flashed through her mind like a hurricane. She heard voices: Scott's, Pietro's, the Professor's, and Mystique's. She saw Xavier smile at her and promise her that she would be safe with them.  
  
But what she saw the most was the fight with the X-men and Acolytes and moment when Wolverine first time stabbed her just before she died. It played like a broken fragment of a movie in her mind and more hatred filled her.  
  
Sakhmet gasped as she scrambled from Mystique with all her strength. The wounds on her side were healing quickly, thanks to Apocalypse and his blood.  
  
"Rogue." Mystique said warily as she wiped her daughter's blood from her hands.  
  
"Don't call me that!" She hissed as she backed away from Mystique. Her eyes went to the crowd, searching their faces. Memories flashed as she took a quick look at all of them.  
  
The Brotherhood quickly went to Mystique's side, Pietro stepping in front of all of them.  
  
"Rogue. It's me." He said warily as his eyes looked at her lovingly.  
  
Sakhmet watched him. Pietro, she thought. She remembered who he was but not what he meant to her. There was something different about him, something in his voice that made her afraid to find out, something in his eyes that told him more than she wanted to know.  
  
She stepped back, her body shaking from the confusion that racked her. She closed her eyes and tried to remember what Apocalypse taught her.  
  
"You will be torn between your past and your present." His voice rang in her head.  
  
She was momentarily interrupted by Logan who was wailing nearby, Jean and Storm by his side.  
  
"Not again! Not again!" He chanted frantically as he rocked back and forth, his tearful eyes empty, seeing only what he had repeatedly done to Rogue. "I killed her!" He screamed.  
  
Apocalypse's words rang in her head. "They called themselves your family and friends but in the end they betrayed you. They betrayed you. Betrayed you. Betrayed you."  
  
She turned her attention back at the Brotherhood, the familiar faces looking at her with concern and worry and surprise but they were afraid. She saw it.  
  
"Rogue is dead." She said bitterly, her eyes staring each and every one of them down. "You lost her. Accept it. I am Sakhmet, Apocalypse's daughter. You have lived to see another day but count your blessings because your days are numbered." With that said, she spun around but Pietro quickly blurred to her and grabbed her wrist.  
  
She saw a flash in her mind and she gasped. Taken by surprise, she growled and raised her arm, throwing him to his friends.  
  
"Remember this, I may have the body of the person you knew as Rogue but I am still your enemy."  
  
She quickly teleported in front of them, leaving the mutants to murmur, whisper and cry in disbelief.  
  
"We have her back." Mystique said hopefully as she turned to face the Brotherhood.  
  
"But how?" Wanda asked in shock.  
  
"I don't know and I don't care. We're getting her back." She said fiercely.  
  
Everyone nodded in unison. "Well, she was looking pretty hot for a corpse." Todd piped in and Wanda growled but did nothing else. She was far to exhausted to move her arm and happily smack him.  
  
That would have to wait later.  
  
They were suddenly interrupted by Magneto. "Did you know about this? That your precious Rogue is actually the bringer of destruction?" He demanded.  
  
Mystique glared. "No." She replied with a sigh.  
  
"Don't think that because she's your daughter that we're not going to kill her." He threatened.  
  
"Over my dead and bleeding body!" Pietro declared angrily.  
  
"Magneto's right. Just because Rogue just happened to be Sakhmet, does not mean that she isn't the enemy." Xavier declared as he wheeled his chair to join the conversation.  
  
"We are not going to let you hurt her again!" Pietro argued.  
  
Xavier shook his head at the younger boy, his eyes glinting with evident dislike. "That's not up to you to decide." He answered calmly.  
  
"That *creature* will destroy this city and worse, this planet whether we like it or not." Magneto declared. "It doesn't matter who she is. She has to be stopped."  
  
"Since when did you care about the well-being of the world, Magnus?" Mystique retorted. "As I clearly recall, you were hell bent on ruling the world and destroying humans."  
  
"You're right Mystique but how would I rule a dead world? You have no say in this. That creature and Apocalypse must be stopped and that's what we are going to do." He declared. He then turned around, floating just a few feet of the ground, refusing to listen to their protests.  
  
The Acolytes quickly followed him, saying nothing to the X-men and Brotherhood who stayed behind.  
  
"I will kill all of you before I let you touch her again!" She yelled.  
  
"The Professor and Magneto are right!" Scott stated firmly. "I care about Rogue but that's not her. Like she said, her name is Sakhmet and she will destroy us if we let her."  
  
Suddenly Pietro lunged at Scott started pounding him in the face. Everyone rushed to pull them away from each other.  
  
"You care about her?" Pietro echoed angrily. "Did you care when your precious X men planned on killing her, did you care when she died? Did you, you bastard!" He said as he tried to free himself from Blob's strong grip. "All you've cared about is pleasing you holier than thou Professor and Ms. Perfect over there!" He yelled accusingly.  
  
Scott glared at Pietro through his visors, his lips bleeding from the punches. "You better watch what you say about my family and friends." Scott hissed.  
  
"Family?" Wanda scoffed as she backed Pietro up. "Is that what you call each other now? You called Rogue your family and look what happened. You and your team tried to kill her and you succeeded!" She said as her anger rose.  
  
"Stay out of this, Wanda!" Jean said.  
  
"Or you'll what? Levitate me off the ground until I pass out? You're nothing compared to me, red, so watch your tongue or you'll be sorry." Wanda hissed.  
  
"Bring it on!" Jean said as the two girls glared at each other.  
  
"Enough!" Xavier yelled when everyone started to take sides and was getting ready for another fight. "We don't have time for petty arguments! There is an enemy out there so I suggest you put you differences aside and work together."  
  
"Not likely." Lance muttered as he glared at Scott and the rest of the X- men.  
  
"Fine! Then avoid each other because I guarantee you, when the real war comes, you're going to need each other, like it or not." He said firmly. "X-men, go back to the Blackbird." He said as his wheelchair turned around, leading them away from the Brotherhood.  
  
Mystique sighed the minute they were gone. "They're right. She's still the enemy."  
  
"You have to be kidding me! That's your daughter!" Pietro said defensively.  
  
"And I haven't forgotten that!" She retorted. "But that was not Rogue that we fought earlier. That was Sakhmet and she's willing to destroy the world and us along it. We have to stop her."  
  
"We're going to kill her?" Todd asked.  
  
"No, you idiot, she said, we're going to stop her!" Wanda exclaimed. She, like all of them was physically and emotionally tired. They had just fought a battle all day and they were on the losing side whether they liked to admit it or not.  
  
They were just lucky that Wolverine stepped in and interrupted the whole thing.  
  
"How do we do that?" Pietro asked with determination.  
  
Mystique shrugged her shoulders as she took a deep sighed, finally feeling the strain of everything that occurred. Even with her quick healing body, she was still tired and exhausted.  
  
"Let's go home. We need some rest." She said, refusing to answer him.  
  
"Mystique, how?" Pietro demanded.  
  
"Pietro let it go. Let's go home and rest and then we'll talk about this. We don't have much time until we have to fight again." Wanda said quietly as he put her hand on her brother's shoulder.  
  
Pietro opened his mouth to protest but shut it close again. He nodded with a sigh. There was no point in arguing. He'd have to wait. He followed the rest of the group as they trudged back home.  
  
"We lost, didn't we?" Todd asked quietly but no one answered him as he looked back at the crumble that was once a great city. He sighed.  
  
Yes, they did and that was just the beginning.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: OKAY, IF YOU DIDN'T GET WHAT HAPPENED SINCE THAT WAS A LITTLE LONG EVEN FOR ME, THIS IS HOW IT WENT: APOCALYPSE AND THE FOUR HORSEMEN, ALONG WITH SAKHMET ARE DESTROYING NEW YORK CITY. THE BROTHERHOOD, ACOLYTES AND X MEN FIGHT HER AND WHEN WOLVERINE TACKLED SAKHMET, THE DORMANT SABERTOOTH IN HER WAS TRIGGERED AND SHE CHANGED INTO HIM. PRETTY MUCH LIKE BEFORE BUT THIS TIME SHE HEALS SINCE SHE'S IMMORTAL NOW. I JUST WANTED TO PROLONG THE SUFFERING AGAIN. SO, SHE GOT SOME OF HER MEMORY BACK BUT THEY STILL DON'T MAKE SENSE. THAT'S WHY SHE LEFT TO GO BACK TO APOCALYPSE.  
  
SO NOTHING EXCITING THERE AND THAT WAS TOTALLY NOT ORIGINAL WHEN I DECIDED TO REDO HER DEATH SCENE. SORRY, IT WAS THAT OR NOTHING AT ALL AND I WANTED THE BROTHERHOOD TO FIND OUT WHO SAKHMET REALLY WAS. I ALSO WANTED HER TO HAVE SOME MEMORY OF WHO SHE WAS. ANYWAY, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK AND GIVE ME SOME IDEAS ON HOW TO FINISH THIS. I DON'T WANT TO KILL ROGUE AGAIN.  
  
HOPEFULLY THAT MADE SENSE. 


	15. chapter fifteen

A/N: I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER. THINGS GOT IN THE WAY AND I HAD THIS HUGE MENTAL BLOCK. SORRY. I STILL DO BUT I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THE READERS WAITING. HOPEFULLY THIS ISN'T AS BAD AS I THINK IT IS. ANYWAY TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK AND IF IT SUCKS LIKE I THINK IT DOES, ILL WRITE A NEW ONE TO MAKE IT UP. JUST NO FLAME OKAY AND GIVE ME SUGGESTIONS. IM RUNNING OUT OF IDEAS. ENJOY.  
~*~  
  
Sakhmet sat on the floor with her back pressed against the cold wall. Her hand was on her stomach as she drew up her knees. There was blood all over her clothes but the wounds were now gone and only the slight throbbing pain lingered to remind her of what had just happened.  
  
Drenched in sweat and covered in dirt, she rolled to her side to lay in a fetal position on the hard floor. Groaning, she clutched her stomach tighter. She shut her eyes as tightly as possible but memories flooded her mind and she snapped them back open.  
  
There were too many faces in her head, too many voices and suddenly she felt very weak and dizzy. "Make it stop." She whispered when she heard Apocalypse's heavy boots approach her.  
  
"I can't." He replied somberly.  
  
"There's too much. It hurts." She breathed deeply.  
  
"This is your curse, Sakhmet. I was able to bring you back from the dead but I couldn't stop the memories from resurfacing now." He said.  
  
"But why now?" She asked as she forced herself not to remember.  
  
"Your brain found a trigger and now your memories are returning. I warned you of this."  
  
"What do I do?" She asked as she felt the coldness of the floor against her cheek.  
  
"Anything but be weak. You weren't created to be weak." He declared and with that said, he walked out of the room, the door slamming after him.  
  
Sakhmet sighed as she sat up, putting her head between her hands to make the dizziness go away. But it didn't. She took deep, painful breaths as she let the flashes of memories flood her mind, taking over her completely.  
************************************************************************  
Jean Grey looked out into the lush gardens of Xavier Institute from her bedroom window. She sighed as a shiver ran down her spine, making her feel slightly uneasy.  
  
It had been almost a week since they discovered that Sakhmet was Rogue. Everything had been relatively fine. The attacks ceased to continue and everything fell back into place, except of course for the uneasy paranoia that everyone acquired.  
  
They were all scared. It was evident. Apocalypse and his Horsemen hadn't shown their faces anywhere. It terrified all of them. It would have been much better to know where they were, to see what they were doing but there was nothing.  
  
New York and the rest of the world had fallen back into its regular rhythm of usual petty crimes and occasional incidents.  
  
Jean sighed again. "God, I wish they would just show themselves and get this over with, rather than make us wait here." She whispered to herself.  
  
"Talking to yourself, Jean?" A familiar voice spoke up and Jean jumped, startled.  
  
Seated on her bed, looking dangerous yet friendly was Rogue.  
  
"How---how did you get in here?" She stammered nervously.  
  
Rogue shrugged her shoulders. "Does it really matter? Come sit." She said as she patted the space next to her.  
  
Jean looked at her fearfully.  
  
"I won't bite, Jean. I promise. I just wanted to see how you were. It's been so long since I last saw you." Rogue declared.  
  
"Not long enough." Jean retorted.  
  
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Is that how you speak to your friends?" Rogue asked she shook her head. "Oh, wait. We're not friends. Friends don't try to kill each other."  
  
"I never wanted to hurt you." Jean insisted.  
  
"Right." Rogue replied sarcastically. "So, how's good old Scott?" She said as she leapt from her seat and stood up gracefully.  
  
Jean back away. She looked around her, trying to find an escape.  
  
"If you run, I'll hurt you."  
  
"Rogue-"  
  
"My name's not Rogue. It's Sakhmet." Sakhmet whispered as she stood up gracefully and walked over to Jean. Jean shut her eyes as she tried to telepathically call out to the professor. "He isn't going to hear you. I put a little mental block on good old Xavier."  
  
"What do you want?" Jean demanded angrily.  
  
"Payback." Sakhmet smiled as she raised a hand and touched Jean's face. "You're not so pretty when you're afraid, Jean."  
  
"Don't touch me!" Jean said as she slapped Rogue's hand away.  
  
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk." Sakhmet snickered. "We could have been friends Jean. But you wanted everything and everyone to be yours. I just wanted a little happiness. You had such a perfect life." She whimpered as her eyes grew soft and then watered.  
  
"I never meant to hurt you, I swear." Jean declared.  
  
"That's what they all say." Sakhmet declared. "Enough talk. I want a little rematch before I decide to kill you. I'll tone down my powers a little to make it fair." She said as she grinned at the red haired girl.  
  
"Like I have a choice." Jean muttered sarcastically as she charged at Rogue. They both fell on the ground and Jean took this chance to punch, grab and scratch at Rogue. "You little bitch. You think you can come here and act all tough. I am the most powerful and I'll show you." She yelled as she wrapped her fingers around Rogue's throat.  
  
Sakhmet threw Jean of off her and the other girl fell against the wall. "Get up." Rogue ordered and Jean leapt to her feet and sent a kick to Rogue's stomach.  
  
Sakhmet punched Jean on the face, sending the other girl backwards. Jean gasped and wiped the blood from her lip. "You'll pay for that." She hissed as she raised her hands and threw and invisible force at Rogue.  
  
"Didn't I say no powers?" Sakhmet said angrily as her hand went around Jean's throat.  
  
"Sorry but I don't play fair." Jean declared angrily as she pressed her hands on Sakhmet's temple sending a shock.  
  
Rogue's body fell on the ground while Jean stood hovered above her, a smug look on her face.  
  
Jean's door flung open and Scott, Kitty, Kurt, Evan, Storm and the professor stormed in.  
  
"We heard noises." Scott said frantically.  
  
"Oh my god." Kitty gasped as she stared at Rogue's body by Jean's feet.  
  
"What happened?" Evan asked.  
  
"She came in my room and we fought. She didn't use her powers so I did something. I've never done it before but I think I went into her mind and overloaded it somehow." Jean stammered nervously.  
  
"Are you alright?" Scott asked as he put his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him.  
  
"She doesn't fight fair." She whispered into Scott's shirt.  
  
"Evan, carry Rogue into the infirmary. We have to restrain her before she wakes up." Xavier instructed hurriedly.  
  
Evan nodded and did so.  
  
Jean grinned as she watched Rogue's limp body being carried out of her room.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Rogue lifted her head with a groaned. She squinted from the bright light above her.  
  
"Morning sunshine." Jean's sweet voice echoed in the room.  
  
Rogue gasped as she struggled to sit up but found that her arms and legs were strapped to a metal table and that she barely had any energy in her.  
  
"Don't bother. We pumped drugs in you." Jean declared victoriously. "It was actually Scott's idea."  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Rogue whimpered.  
  
"Because I can." Jean beamed as she touched Rogue's hair. "You shouldn't frown so much. It-"  
  
"Jean don't stand too close to her!" Scott interrupted and she shrugged her shoulders and then backed away.  
  
"It's alright, Scott. I don't think she'll hurt us anymore." She said sweetly.  
  
"We don't know that. She's very powerful." He said grimly as he put his arm around her protectively.  
  
Jean glared at Rogue and then turned to Scott. "What did the professor say?" She asked.  
  
"He thinks we should just keep her here and put more drugs in her system. He also wants to talk to you and find out how you defeated her." He said proudly.  
  
"Okay, but not right now. I want to rest." She said tiredly.  
  
"Ok." He said and she kissed him on the cheek. "What was that for?"  
  
Jean shrugged. "I don't know. It just felt right." She smiled shyly, casting a quick glance at Rogue who looked about to burst into tears.  
  
"Okay. I'll see you later then." He smiled before he walked out the room.  
  
"They're going to make you pay for this." Rogue said groggily as she fought to stay awake.  
  
"Pay, right." Jean scoffed. "They won't even find out until its too late. They're so wrapped up in their own little world. I'll see you around, friend."  
  
"You can't do this to me!" Rogue yelled weakly.  
  
Jean smiled, her teeth almost glowing in the darkness. "Trust me, I can." She said and the door closed behind her.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
The alarm in the mansion continued to shrill. Jean groaned as she prayed for it to stop already.  
  
"How did she escape?" Jean demanded angrily as she suited up.  
  
"I don't know. She just got away." Kitty answered quietly.  
  
Jean groaned angrily as she stormed out of her room. "I can't believe this." She hissed.  
  
"She ran into the woods. We have to find her before the drugs are out of her system and she gets away." Scott declared and Jean nodded quietly.  
  
They searched the woods for over an hour and still there was no sign of Rogue.  
  
"She's probably gone by now." Kitty said hopelessly. "I mean, she could have teleported out of her hours ago."  
  
"Guys, I found her!" Evan yelled and they all rushed to where he was.  
  
Standing in front of Evan was Rogue, looking disheveled and afraid. "Stay away from me!" She yelled fiercely.  
  
"You can't run forever, Rogue. You're not strong enough." Scott declared icily.  
  
"Scott, don't do this!" She whimpered. "I'm not R-"  
  
"It's a trick! She's trying to fool us!" Evan interrupted.  
  
"No, Evan! I'm not, it's me!" She insisted weakly. "Please, listen to me." She said as she turned to face the others.  
  
"What kind of game are you playing, Rogue?" Storm demanded.  
  
"I'm not playing any game!" She shrieked, stomping her foot on the ground.  
  
"Don't listen to her!" Scott ordered angrily. "Attack her before she gets strong enough to hurt us."  
  
They all nodded. Evan imprisoned her with his spikes while Storm formed a barricade of ice which eventually engulfed Rogue and froze her on the spot.  
  
They all stood around the frozen figure. "What do we do?" Kitty asked.  
  
"We should take her back to the mansion." Kurt suggested.  
  
"In a frozen block of ice? No." Scott intervened. "I say we finish the job."  
  
"You mean kill her?" Kurt asked in fear.  
  
"She's the enemy. We have no choice. If we let her live, she'll keep coming back to ruin our lives." He justified.  
  
"But that's murder." Kitty whispered.  
  
"Yeah, but it's not like this is the first or second time we tried to kill her. We have no choice." Scott argued firmly.  
  
"Professor?" Kurt turned to the man in wheel chair who had grown silent while the rest of them debated on what to do.  
  
"Scott's right. We don't have a choice. This might be our only chance." He said darkly.  
  
"How do we kill her?" Storm asked quietly.  
  
"We can't." Jean whispered.  
  
"Jean's right. Rogue is immortal. There's nothing we can do except keep her frozen." Xavier stated as he pursed his lips to think of what to do.  
  
"Then let's leave it at that and dump her in the ocean. If we throw her someplace far and deep no one will find her." Scott suggested.  
  
"That's barbaric!" Kitty argued. "I know that she's a cold blooded murderer but she was our friend and we can't just leave her in limbo for the rest of her life."  
  
"Kitty, be quite. We have no choice. We can't let her live. She's too dangerous." Xavier said sternly.  
  
"Fine, do whatever but I'm not staying here. Kurt are you coming or not?" She asked as she shot her friend a look.  
  
"Where would we go?" He asked meekly.  
  
"Anywhere but here! Are you with me or not?" She demanded angrily.  
  
Kurt took a deep sigh and followed Kitty. "I'm going to regret this." He mumbled as they walked away.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Lance looked towards the front door strangely as the knocking continued.  
  
"Who the hell knocking?" He asked in a whisper.  
  
"It could be the X-freaks trying to trick us." Toad said loudly and Wanda slapped him on the back.  
  
"Guys, I know you're in there!" Kitty's impatient voice pierced through. "Let us in, please."  
  
"What the hell do you want and who are you with?" Blob yelled.  
  
"I'm with Kurt. We have to talk. Something happened." She said.  
  
"Well, you can tell it from outside!" Pietro yelled angrily.  
  
"Something happened...it was bad...something happened to Rogue again." She started to whimper and suddenly it became clear to the Brotherhood that she was crying.  
  
Pietro bolted to the door before everyone else and yanked it open.  
  
"Where is she?" He demanded.  
  
She shook her head as Kurt held her steady. "Gone."  
  
"Stop playing games, Kitty, and answer me!" Pietro declared irately.  
  
"I'm....we're not playing games! She was at the house and somehow Jean managed to defeat her and we strapped her down so that she wouldn't escape but she did and then Storm froze her......now they're going to throw her in the ocean. I didn't want to stay and watch. I'm sorry. I couldn't stand it anymore. I couldn't stay and watch her die again and again." She sobbed hysterically.  
  
"Oh God." Pietro whispered as his heart sank.  
  
"We're too late." Wanda whispered sadly as she let Kitty and Kurt inside the house. "We're too late."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Jean watched them quietly as Professor Xavier, Storm, Scott and Evan get out of the Blackbird. They had just finished throwing Rogue's frozen body into the Atlantic Ocean.  
  
"I can't believe that we finally got rid of her." Scott said with relief.  
  
"It seemed too easy." Storm whispered.  
  
"Yeah but it's over. Finally." Scott smiled and Jean started to laugh. "What so funny?" He asked as he watched her curiously.  
  
"I have to give you credit. You're ruthless." She continued to laugh. She clapped her hands at them. "It turned out better than I hoped." She laughed and suddenly she changed into Sakhmet.  
  
"Oh, God." Scott gasped in terror as he watched her transform to her natural shape.  
  
"I think you mean, oh, Goddess." She smirked at him, her eyes glinting with hatred. "What were you thinking? Did you honestly believe that it was going to be that easy to defeat me?" She laughed again. "You're all fools. First, Mystique tricked you into believing that she was me and now, you fall for it the second time."  
  
"You tricked us!" Scott yelled as he shot at her.  
  
"That's right Mr. Obvious. I tricked you. All of you." She grinned victoriously. "I made you believe that she was me and you didn't even bat an eyelash. Jean doesn't have enough power to hurt me. Stupid, stupid Cyclops. And worse, I fooled you, Xavier." She said as she turned to look at the much older man.  
  
"How?" He demanded furiously.  
  
"I have the power to change things and make them appear different in case you didn't know. So, when Jean and I fought, I just quickly changed her appearance and I morphed to look like her before any of you could catch me. And as for your psychic connection, I just did a little block. It wasn't that hard, professor." She smiled.  
  
"I'm going to kill you!" Scott screamed as he continued to shoot laser at her.  
  
"You should know by now that that is impossible." She laughed as she ducked and he continued to miss. "How does it feel Scott, to kill the one person who meant the world to you? Huh? And Professor, are you riddled with guilt to know that you just destroyed one of your most loyal subjects?"  
  
"You're going to pay for this!" Scott yelled as he stood heaving in anger. "I'm going to make sure of that!"  
  
"Right." She said sarcastically. "Don't try anything idiotic Storm. You know that you don't stand a chance against me." She warned the older woman who was ready to attack her. "Hey, it could be worse. I could have destroyed the mansion and everyone in it."  
  
"This isn't over." Xavier announced.  
  
"That's right it's not over. I haven't even begun." She smirked triumphantly. "Payback's a bitch, isn't it?" She said callously before she teleported out of the mansion, leaving the four X-men to stare in disbelief and recall what they had just done.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: WELL THERE IT IS. SOMEONE SUGGESTED THAT ROGUE KILL JEAN AND SCOTT AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA. I JUST DIDN'T WANT ROGUE DOING IT BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD MAKE HER LOOK ULTIMNATELY EVIL. I HAD TO MAKE THE X-MEN SUFFER WHILE AT IT SO WHAT BETTER WAY THAN HAVE THEM KILL THEIR OWN. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I WAS KINDA REDOING ONE OF MY OTHER CHAPTERS UNTIL THE VERY END SO I JUST KEPT IT THAT WAY.  
  
TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK AND DON'T BE CRUEL. THANKS FOR READING. 


	16. chapter sixteen

A/N: IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I UPDATED THIS AND I REALLY, REALLY REGRET IT. I ALMOST FORGOT HOW MUCH I LIKED X-MEN EVOLUTION AND THIS STORY. ANYWAY, HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER. HOPW YOU GUYS HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT THIS STORY. THANKS FOR READING.  
  
ENJOY.  
  
~*~  
  
Mystique stood above the body of Wolverine which was sprawled on the ground.  
  
"How pathetic." She muttered with disgust. Mystique finally found him after searching for quite a while. She had a bone to pick with him.  
  
Logan groaned as he rolled over to his side. "Go ahead and kill me." He begged.  
  
Mystique scoffed. "That's would be too easy. I'm going to watch you suffer." She said icily.  
  
"I'm already suffering." He groaned. "I killed my only daughter."  
  
Mystique kicked him hard on the stomach. "Don't call her 'your daughter'. She was mine."  
  
"I'm sorry." He whispered brokenly.  
  
"If you're so sorry, you're going to help me get her back." Mystique declared. "Now get of your sorry ass. We have work to do."  
  
Wolverine looked up at her, his face worn from sobbing like a mad man over what he had done to Rogue. "What do you need me for? I killed her. I killed her." He muttered.  
  
"The act doesn't fool me, Logan. Insanity won't bring you forgiveness. Help me get my daughter back and I'll try not to kill you for everything that you've done to ruin her future."  
  
"I didn't mean it." Logan whimpered as he scrambled to get up miserably.  
  
"No, none of us meant to kill her but in some way, we did kill a part of her." She said somewhat sadly.  
  
"Don't blame yourself. You loved her." Logan said as he dusted dirt off of himself and looked at her sympathetically. He truly was sorry for all the hurt he gave to the woman and Rogue.  
  
He and Mystique had their differences and they had tried countless times to kill each other but Logan truly blamed himself for all the pain this time.  
  
He should have been able to see the clearer picture. Maybe if he had, Rogue wouldn't have died in the first place and the horrible mess they were all in now would not have happened.  
  
He would always blame himself for that. Granted he wasn't the main reason the whole thing started but he did play a large part.  
  
But it was too late for ifs and maybes. It was too late to act all sorry. Like Mystique said his insanity will not get him forgiveness.  
  
"So what's the plan?" He asked as he walked beside her, limping slightly. Mystique had given him one hell of a fight.  
  
"We're going to kill Xavier."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Apocalypse smiled at her, his face obvious of his pride for Sahkmet's new accomplishments.  
  
She smiled at him, glad of his approval. They were in Apocalypse's hideout, taking a few days off before they resumed their attack again.  
  
Sakhmet had reported back to him and Apocalypse was proud of how she handled herself even without his supervision.  
  
She stepped back from him and leaned against the wall, half listening to what he was saying to the others and half thinking to herself.  
  
Despite how glad and relieved she was that Apocalypse approved of Jean's "termination", Sakhmet couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt gnawing at her. Somehow, despite what Jean had done to her in her past life, she couldn't help but feel guilty for what she did.  
  
It felt wrong. No matter how much she tried to justify her actions, a part of her still said that no one deserved what she did to Jean.  
  
But what about what they did to you? What she did to you? Another part argued.  
  
Sakhmet sighed feeling torn between her need for revenge and the other part of her that once was Rogue and now demanded that she play nice.  
  
"I'm going to rest." She said out loud and exited the room.  
  
Sakhmet raked her fingers through her hair as she walked down the halls towards her room. She hated herself for what she did and she also hated herself for feeling so damned guilty.  
  
Jean Grey deserved every ounce of punishment she got.  
  
Sakhmet sighed as she laid on her bed and closed her eyes, hoping to find peace in her sleep.  
  
Slowly she drifted into sleep.  
  
Half an hour later, she woke up, drenched in cold sweat, her eyes wet with tears. Breathing heavily, she sat up on her bed and folded her legs and hugged them.  
  
She needed to see someone and she had to do it soon before Apocalypse or the rest of the group noticed that she was gone. Without a second thought, she teleported out of her room.  
  
She found herself outside the brotherhood house, contemplating on whether she should knock or just waltz right in.  
  
She could hear them arguing inside and she felt slightly uneasy to be just standing outside and listening.  
  
Wringing her clammy hands, she turned the knob and pushed the door open.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Pietro, Lance and Toad stopped in the midst of their argument and stared at Rogue who stood by the doorway, waiting for a reaction.  
  
Wanda was just coming down the stairs, surprised but calm.  
  
Fred almost choked on his potato chips as he scrambled to his feet.  
  
Toad looked frightened as he ran to Wanda who tried her best to shove him away from her.  
  
Rogue had her arms crossed in front of her, a stubborn and determined look on her face but her stance told them not to come too close or she would make them regret it.  
  
It was Pietro who moved first, his heart beating so fast, he thought for sure that he was suffering a mild heart attack.  
  
Instantly, Rogue backed away, her hand in front of them, putting more space between her and the rest of the group.  
  
"We thought they killed you." Pietro said in utter disbelief. If he let himself, he would have cried then and there to find her alive and well.  
  
"Surprise." She said sarcastically.  
  
"What happened?" Pietro asked curiously. "We thought Jean and the X-men did you in for good."  
  
Rogue scoffed. "I'm immortal remember?"  
  
"Like, yo, she can't die." Toad said eagerly.  
  
"Shut up!" Wanda told him.  
  
"We know that idiot." Pietro hissed. Toad stuck his tongue at Pietro who shuddered. "Watch it, Toad, or you won't have a tongue in two seconds."  
  
Lance cleared his throat and approached Rogue. She stepped back instinctively. "You're alive and that's all that matters." He said.  
  
Rogue rolled her eyes. "I'm not here for the 'she's-back-from-the-dead' party and I sure as hell am not staying so don't get your pathetic hopes up."  
  
"We're not expecting anything from you. We just want you back." Pietro explained.  
  
"So you can have someone immortal and powerful on your side? So that you would tip the scales of power? Isn't that exactly what the X-men and Acolytes wanted from me?" She said incredulously.  
  
"Actually, the Acolytes are hell bent on killing you and the X-men want to kill you if you're not on their side." Fred clarified as he returned to munching on his potato chips.  
  
"So why are you here?" Wanda asked softly. She had a feeling Rogue wasn't up for fighting.  
  
"Answers."  
  
"We'll tell you everything. Just don't run off again." Pietro replied.  
  
"We're doing this on my terms. I ask, you answer." Rogue said firmly.  
  
"What do you want to know?" Lance asked.  
  
"Everything."  
  
"Fair enough." Pietro declared.  
  
"But first," Toad interrupted. "You have to promise not to go all psychotic and kill all of us, yo."  
  
Wanda kicked him subtly, taking the opportunity that he was standing next to her.  
  
Lance and Pietro muttered curses. Pissing Rogue off was just what they needed to lose her again.  
  
"Like I said, we're doing this on 'my' terms. If I find the need to kill one of you, I will." Rogue said icily as she glared at him.  
  
"Listen, Rogue-" Lance said but was cut off.  
  
"No, you listen." She interrupted as she boldly walked up to him. "First, my name is not Rogue. Get that straight. Second, this may be your territory but I have the power so don't get all cocky. I can snap your heads of in a heartbeat. Third, you tell me every damn thing that I want to know and if I find out you're lying-well, let's just say you won't live to regret it."  
  
Lance shook his head at her. "You're right. You're not her. Rogue had at least some humanity in her. You don't. You're made of complete hatred."  
  
She smirked at him. "Good boy. Now someone start talking before I get bored and destroy everything." She declared as she sat on the chair as if she belonged there.  
  
"No, first you tell us what you did back at the X-mansion. We thought you were dead for good." Lance said firmly and he wasn't going to give her any information if she didn't answer.  
  
Pietro gave him a look.  
  
Lance ignored him.  
  
Wanda and the rest of the group waited.  
  
"How many times do I have to say it? I'm immortal; as in: invincible, all powerful and can't die no matter what." She said sarcastically.  
  
"That's not what I asked." Lance said firmly.  
  
Rogue wanted to stand up and strangle him slowly. "Here's the gist of it all: I switched our bodies so Jean and I could be mistaken for each other. Then I made them believe I, who was then in Jean's form, managed to defeat Rogue who was truly Jean. And the stupid X-men fell for it. Anyway, they froze her and threw her in the middle of God knows where until eternity."  
  
"You got them to kill their own." Lance whispered in admiration. The act was truly evil but he couldn't help but be proud of her.  
  
She definitely showed them.  
  
"That's right, genius. The rest is history so can we please move on and get this over with so I can go home?"  
  
"This is your home, Rogue. Here." Pietro said firmly.  
  
Suddenly the floor began to shake and cracks started to form.  
  
"Lance, what are you doing?" Toad asked frantically as he stumbled, almost taking Wanda down with him.  
  
"It's not me!"  
  
"What did I say to you?" Rogue asked angrily as she stood up from her seat.  
  
"If you're going to tear the house with an earthquake, then forget getting any answers!" Lance said levelly.  
  
Who did she think she was?  
  
Wanda was just about to attack her full force.  
  
The tremors subsided and Rogue stood in front of them angrily. "Fine." They were lucky that she still felt guilty for what she did to Jean. She would have killed them all in an instant.  
  
"Good." Lance said firmly.  
  
"Before we start walking down memory lane, let's get one important thing clear here: I decide where I belong. Don't try to convince me to think your way." She said coldly.  
  
Suddenly Kurt, who was upstairs consoling a tearful Kitty 'ported right into the living room, wondering what had happened. "What happened?" He asked; his back turned to Rogue.  
  
"So, an X-men in the Brotherhood house. How interesting." Rogue said angrily.  
  
Kurt spun around, startled to see her. "Rogue, you're alive! Kitty's going to be so-" Kurt said but before he could finish, she had swung her arm at him and sent him across the room.  
  
"Stop! This is not what he looks like." Pietro exclaimed.  
  
"Really? You tried to trap me. You've been working with them the whole time!" Rogue yelled. "You're a liar! You're all the same!"  
  
"Rogue please-" Pietro suddenly grabbed her arm and Rogue shoved him.  
  
"No!" She yelled. The ground shook again and this time, the broken chandelier in the house fell as well as the rest of the measly decorations.  
  
The house started to cave and everyone frantically searched for an exit. Rogue stalked out of the front door angrily.  
  
Pietro ran after her while the others scrambled for safety.  
  
"You have it all wrong! Kurt and Kitty came here to tell us what happened to you so we could save you. Listen me!" Pietro said as he caught up with her.  
  
"Or was it to celebrate?" She taunted.  
  
"We are not trying to kill you! Why can't you see that? We are on your side, no matter what Apocalypse made you believe!" He said angrily.  
  
"No one's on my side." She glared at him. Why she didn't lash out or just leave was beyond her.  
  
She had the power and opportunity to kill him and the rest of his treacherous team then and there but something held her back. There was something in his eyes that made her want to know more, despite the confusion that just occurred.  
  
She was compelled to stay for some unknown reason.  
  
She also knew that she couldn't go back to Apocalypse's lair at least not while she was not calm and thinking straight.  
  
"I'm going to forgive you for ruining the only house that the Brotherhood has but don't you dare accuse us of trying to sabotage you. We care about you. We love you. I love you." Pietro said firmly as he grabbed her by the shoulders.  
  
Strangely, she didn't push him away. Rogue just stood there, a skeptical look in her eyes.  
  
"Then why did you let me die?" She finally asked softly as her eyes glistened with tears. It was the one thing that had been plaguing her since her memories partially returned.  
  
She needed to know.  
  
"We tried the best we could; I swear on my life, we did. We just weren't good enough. If I could change that day, I would." He said brokenly.  
  
"But you can't Pietro." She answered. It was the first time Rogue had said his name in a long time. It almost sounded like the old her. "Now, I'm cursed with these memories and I don't want them."  
  
"It's the only way I can get you back. You have to remember everything. Remember that I loved you, please." He begged.  
  
She shook her head at him as she stepped away. "I can't remember that and I won't but I feel it. What were we Pietro?"  
  
He shrugged dejectedly. "We never had the chance to become anything. You were taken from me." He replied.  
  
Rogue shut her eyes tight. "You're lying. This is one of you plans." She said angrily as her once sad eyes turn bitter.  
  
She couldn't believe what had just occurred. She had just bared herself; let her guard down for some damned memories.  
  
Suddenly, she hated herself for feeling something whenever she looked at the speed demon.  
  
"I'm not lying and I'll show you." Pietro said and in a heartbeat he pulled her towards his and kissed her softly.  
  
Toad started cheering insanely, hoping up and down, around the rubble that used to be their house.  
  
Fred smiled as he dug into the potato bag that he salvaged before the "wreckage".  
  
Wanda muttered, "Finally."  
  
Lance shook his head but smiled anyway. He couldn't help but be happy of what was happening despite losing their house.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Hidden in the shadows, Death kept watch of the scene that was occurring.  
  
Apocalypse was not going to be pleased with his young protégé once he finds out her little betrayal.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: THERE GOES ANOTHER CHAPTER. I FINALLY MADE SOMETHING MUSHY. THIS IS PROBABLY THE BEGINNING OF MORE MUSHINESS BETWEEN ROGUE AND PIETRO.  
  
IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHY KURT AND KITTY WERE IN THE BROTHERHOOD HOUSE WELL, REMEMBER THAT IN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER THEY WENT OVER THERE TO TELL THE BROTHERHOOD ABOUOT WHAT THEY THOUGHT HAPPENED TO ROGUE. WELL THEY STAYED AND I DIDN'T WANT TO EXPLAIN THE WHOLE THING IN THIS CHAPTER.  
  
ANYWAY, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. I NEED SOME IDEAS FOR THIS STORY. HOPE YOU LIKED IT.  
  
PLEASE REVIEW. 


	17. chapter seventeen

A/N: WOW. ITS BEEN A WHILE SINCE I LAST UPDATED AND I JUST COULDN'T GET MYSELF TO FINISH THIS CHAPTER.  
  
WELL, SCHOOL'S OVER AND SUMMER'S HERE AND I HAVEN'T DONE ANY PARTYING SO I DECIDED THAT I MIGHT AS WELL WORK ON MY STORIES. HEHEHE.  
  
HOPE YOU GUYS HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT THIS. I KNOW IT'S MY FAULT. I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN A WHILE. I PROMISE I WON'T PROCRASTINATE ANYMORE. I WILL BE UPDATING THIS WEEKLY IF YOU GUYS GIVE ME REVIEWS.  
  
NO REVIEWS, NO UPDATES. HEHEHE.  
  
THAT'S RIGHT I'M EVIL. =P  
  
WELL, ANYWAY, HERE GOES ANOTHER CHAPTER.  
  
ENJOY.  
  
~*~  
  
No matter how chaste the kiss was, Rogue was guilt ridden.  
  
When she broke away from Pietro, she had slapped him so hard that she left an imprint of her hand on his cheek.  
  
"You'll regret that." She hissed; her eyes cold and deadly.  
  
Pietro looked at her, truly hurt as he rubbed a hand on his stinging cheek. "Rogue-"  
  
"I already told you not to call me that." She voiced icily as she stared at him with angry eyes.  
  
"My mistake." He mumbled somberly.  
  
"That's right." She replied coldly. "What exactly were you thinking? That I would suddenly regain my memory from a kiss?"  
  
"Actually, I kissed you because I never had the chance to when you were alive." Pietro replied firmly as he leveled her glare. "And maybe that you'd remember too."  
  
"You're a little too late."  
  
"It's never too late." He insisted and she scoffed at him.  
  
"Wrong again." She retorted. "No matter how this war ends I will not go back to you and your pathetic friends. I have a purpose on this Earth and that is to destroy or rule it."  
  
"That's what Apocalypse taught you. How do you know he's telling the truth?" Pietro dared to ask.  
  
"I know because he's my father." She replied.  
  
"He isn't your father!"  
  
"Apocalypse gave me life. I am standing here because of him." Rogue insisted. "If you really care about me like you claim to, you should be grateful as well."  
  
"He turned you into a monster."  
  
Her eyes narrowed slightly at the comment and she felt slightly insulted. "He made me powerful. He gave me strength to stand up for myself."  
  
Pietro shook his head in dismay. "He's still the enemy."  
  
"That makes me the same then. You will regret this and that's a promise." Rogue whispered gravely before she teleported in front of him.  
  
Pietro heaved a sigh as he clenched his fists tightly.  
  
"Well, that was one smooth move." Wanda drawled sarcastically as she walked up to her brother, a slightly disappointed look on her face.  
  
"That was intense, yo." Toad piped in and Pietro glared at him.  
  
"We're not getting anywhere with her. I'd say it's getting worse." Lance declared solemnly.  
  
"She still feels threatened. She needs time." Kurt explained and the rest of the Brotherhood glared at him.  
  
"What are you a shrink?" Wanda spat out. She really disliked the boy and she had to wonder why one of them hadn't beaten the life out of him yet. And the valley girl too.  
  
"I'm trying to help." He retorted.  
  
"Well, it's not working!" Wanda argued. "By popping out of nowhere, you made her angry. You made the whole situation worse!"  
  
"Well you could have warned me!"  
  
"We're not on the same team, X freak! We do not help each other!" Wanda declared angrily as her powers began to surge due to her heightened emotions.  
  
"I suggest you place nice, Wanda, because we are getting nowhere by not working together." Kurt retorted irately as he reflected the girl's glare.  
  
"I will never work with you. You and your kind started this whole mess." She hissed.  
  
Kurt scoffed. "My kind? Look around Wanda. We're all the same kind. We're all mutants."  
  
"There's a big difference between us, Nightcrawler. 'My' kind doesn't kill it's own."  
  
"You should really talk, Wanda. You've been hunting your father for quite some time now. And you say you don't kill your own?"  
  
"He placed me into an institution! He destroyed my life!" She yelled.  
  
"And he took away my mother from me! It doesn't mean I hunt him down and kill him!"  
  
"What made you think she wanted to keep you if she had the choice?" She yelled.  
  
"You little-"  
  
"Stop it!" Lance yelled as he stepped between the two heated mutants who looked about ready to rip each others throats. "We don't have time for this. Kurt, Wanda's right. You did mess up. And Wanda, we need them on our side. We need anyone who's willing to help us. Both of you hold the name calling until this is over."  
  
Wanda redirected her glare at Lance who seemed the least bit afraid of her.  
  
"Lance is right. Now everyone calm down. We need a place to stay for the night." Pietro joined in.  
  
"We're broke."  
  
"Who said we're going to pay?" Lance replied.  
  
"Hey guys, I think Rogue's gone batty. One minute she's psycho, evil Sakhmet and then the next, she's nice, innocent Rogue." Toad exclaimed casually as he hopped alongside his team members.  
  
Kurt gave him an offended look. This was his sister that Toad was talking about.  
  
Kitty remained quiet while Wanda sighed sharply. Fred was eating the remaining crumbs of potato chips.  
  
"Shut up, Toad." Pietro said.  
  
"No, really. I think she's schizophrenic."  
  
"She's not schizo. She's battling from memory loss." Pietro argued.  
  
"Right." Toad said disbelievingly. "So who were you kissing there just now? Rogue or Sakhmet? Or both? It's like having two girls. You must have been really e-"  
  
"Shut up!" Everyone yelled in unison.  
  
"You guys need to chill." Toad muttered.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"I think we need to come up with a new plan. I don't like this one." Logan declared as he walked side by side with Mystique.  
  
"See my caring face." She muttered in response.  
  
"You're not very easy to work with." Logan growled.  
  
"Yeah and you're just great." Mystique drawled. "Listen here, Wolverine. We're not doing this as friends. We're doing this for Rogue. So no niceties between us, and no pretenses to remotely like each other as civilized human beings. Correction: mutants. When this is over, you and I are back to our old routine. Understood?"  
  
"And I thought I was cynical." He muttered.  
  
She sent him a death glare before returning her attention to the small "dimension machine" in front of her. "Tell me that you know how to work this thing."  
  
"Hey, I'm not into science." He replied somberly.  
  
She sighed sharply. "What are you here for if you can't do anything?"  
  
He growled again. "Beats me. You're the one brilliant enough to want my help." He replied.  
  
Mystique groaned. She decided that snapping Wolverine out of his pathetic self-hate state two weeks ago was the worst thing she could do, especially to herself.  
  
Instead of moping and blaming himself endlessly, Wolverine discovered a new passion in life.  
  
Making snappy comments and annoying the life out of Mystique.  
  
At first, she presumed that it was his way of coping, of hiding his guilt and remorse. So she let it slide.  
  
But then he seemed to enjoy it.  
  
"So you actually think that we can defeat Apocalypse with this "dimension machine" and get Rogue back?" He asked as he scrutinized the well crafted device.  
  
She snatched the machine from him. "Don't break it. It's not a toy." She snapped. When Mystique saw the hurt look on his face, her expressions softened. "No, I'm not expecting to defeat Magneto with this. I'm hoping to use this to get him out of this dimension. Hopefully Rogue won't hate us too much for getting rid of him, temporarily."  
  
Logan sighed. "That's not much to go on, Mystique."  
  
"We don't have a choice." She replied.  
  
"How'd you get this out of the mansion, by the way?" He asked curiously.  
  
She shrugged at him, a wicked smile on our face. "Had one of the boys do a quick run." She replied.  
  
"Well, at least they're useful for something." Logan declared as he stood next to her, patiently watching her as she inspected the machine.  
  
Mystique nodded absently as she pressed tiny buttons on the machine. "They've all we got. They better be prepared or we'll never win this."  
  
"You actually think we have a chance?" He asked.  
  
"If there's a will, there's a way." She replied vaguely. She didn't know the answer to Wolverine's question but they were about to find out. "Come on. Time to update the rest of the team."  
  
Logan nodded somberly. He had a bad feeling about this.  
  
Really bad.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Anger settled on Apocalypse's face as Davan Shakari reported what he just witnessed.  
  
"She's associating with the enemy. That mutant boy, Pietro, has great influence over her. They all do but that boy, especially." Davan explained. "She could deflect anytime."  
  
Apocalypse's jaw was set squarely as his eyes reflected true fury. "When she returns, send Sakhmet in. I want to have a word with her."  
  
Davan nodded grimly as he exited the room. He knew that if Sakhmet did deflect, there would be a great shift in power. Their strength would be tested.  
  
Their resolve would falter because their true greatness lay in Apocalypse and Sakhmet. If Sakhmet chose the other side, Apocalypse would have a true challenge in his hands.  
  
It would not be good for any of them.  
  
Sighing, Davan proceeded to the hall that led to Sakhmet's chambers. Hopefully she would be there. Keeping Apocalypse waiting would worsen the situation.  
  
And Davan hoped that when Sakhmet and Apocalypse have their chance to speak to each other, they would see eye to eye and the young protégé would stay.  
  
He spotted her stepping out of her room, looking slightly shaken with her face flushed. She knew instantly what Davan came for when she saw him.  
  
Nodding grimly she followed him back to where Apocalypse waited.  
  
Davan shot Sakhmet a worried Rogue before stopping by the doorway, letting her go inside on her own.  
  
In the room, Apocalypse had left his seat and was now standing by the far wall, looking out the window.  
  
He had his hands crossed behind his back.  
  
"You asked for me?" She said softly, making her presence known.  
  
Slowly, Apocalypse turned to face her. He didn't look happy. "Have you found what you were looking for?" He asked.  
  
She hesitated slightly. "Some." Sakhmet replied. "Everything is still vague. I wish I knew more."  
  
"Then you should keep looking." Apocalypse declared. Sakhmet shot him a surprised look. "I'm well aware that you went to the Brotherhood tonight and although I wish that you informed your teammates before you left, I do understand your reasons."  
  
"You're not angry?"  
  
"I have no reason to be." Apocalypse replied. "Just because you belong to this 'family' does not mean you have to be isolated from the rest of the world, mutant or otherwise. But you must be careful. These people betrayed you in some way. They either killed you or let you die."  
  
"But the Brotherhood tried to protect me." She insisted.  
  
"They let you die." Apocalypse pressed. "I've come to a decision, Sakhmet."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"The Horsemen and I are leaving at dawn." He declared.  
  
"Where to?"  
  
Apocalypse shook his head at her. "It doesn't matter. You'll soon find out but my decision is you stay here."  
  
Panic rose in her throat. "Why?" She asked.  
  
"You still search for answers about your past. Answers that I or the Horsemen can not give you. It's time that you leave the fold. You've been quite dependent on us for some time now. You need to learn to survive alone."  
  
"But you can't leave me." She protested.  
  
"We are not abandoning you. We're giving you a chance to decide."  
  
"I've already decided." She said a little too quickly.  
  
"No you haven't." He replied. "You're holding back because a part of you is missing. I see many great things for you but first, find your way and then return to us. Don't think us wrong."  
  
"But I belong with you and the Horsemen. This is all I know. I can't go out there." She explained hastily.  
  
"My point exactly."  
  
"I don't understand. Is this punishment?" She asked.  
  
"Hardly." Apocalypse answered and with that he turned and walked out of the room leaving Sakhmet to stare after him, her eyes filled with tears.  
  
She teleported out of the room and found herself in the air, hovering on top of the Brotherhood house. She looked down at the shambles and sighed as she descended onto the ground.  
  
It began to rain and Sakhmet heave a sigh as she looked around her in the darkness. Something rustled amongst the trees and she set her hands on fire, ready to attack.  
  
"It's me." Pietro said calmly as he stepped out of the shadows, his hands in his pockets. She glared at him before returning her gaze to the house. "I didn't think you'd come back."  
  
"Then why are you here?" She asked bitterly. She was consumed with anger but there was this feeling of loss and she didn't know what to do.  
  
"I had a feeling that you needed me." He replied softly.  
  
"I don't need anyone. You don't know me." She said as the rain began to soak their hair and clothes.  
  
"I used to think that I did know you. Apparently I don't." He said with a smirk.  
  
"We're going to destroy this planet." Sakhmet declared as she continued to stare at the rubble.  
  
"I know." Pietro replied with a heavy sigh as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.  
  
"You should be afraid."  
  
He shook his head at her as a sad smile crossed his face. "If the end comes, then let it. But I'm not going to be afraid. Not even when I know that your threats aren't petty and that you will destroy us when the time comes."  
  
"This is pointless, Pietro. You won't get her back."  
  
"You talk like she's a different person but anyway, I'm working on it." He smiled and she shot him a disapproving look. "So, why are you here?"  
  
She shrugged her shoulders at him. "Don't really know."  
  
"Isn't Daddy dearest going to get worried?" He asked somewhat bitterly.  
  
"What's it to you?" She snapped. She wanted to fight him, maybe release some anger out of her system but he looked suddenly very vulnerable as he stood in the rain, with the large bruise on his cheek from the slap she gave him.  
  
So she didn't.  
  
"I'm not here to argue or fight with you. Hell, I don't even know why I'm here but I want to get out of the rain. It's ruining my hair." Pietro said lightly as he turned to leave. "Are you coming?"  
  
She looked at him hesitantly. She wondered what she would gain by going with him but knowing that she had no place else to stay, Sakhmet complied.  
  
"We're still not friends and I'm not rejoining the group." She reminded him.  
  
Pietro nodded. "Yeah, you told us. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten." He replied.  
  
"Good."  
  
"You're losing your touch Ro-Sakhmet. We're becoming less and less afraid of you." He joked, glancing at her as they walked side by side.  
  
"You just wait and see." She told him darkly as they headed to where the rest of the group was waiting.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: WHEN I WROTE THIS CHAPTER I DECIDED THAT IT SHOULDN'T BE AS ANGSTY AND DARK AS THE OTHERS. I MEAN ALL YOU GUYS HAVE READ FOR A WHILE NOW ARE DEATH, DESTRUCTION AND MORE CHAOS.  
  
SO I ADDED SOME LIGHTER MOMENTS. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS CHAPTER IS REMOTELY FUNNY BUT I DIDN'T WANT MORE BROODING FROM THE CHAPTERS.  
  
I KNOW THAT SOME OF THE CHARACTER'S PERSONALITY SEEM TO DO A TOTALLY FLIP. I TRIED TO MAKE THEM SUBTLE OR AT LEAST WRITE AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THEY'RE ACTING THAT WAY (EX: WOLVERINE'S SNAPPY COMEBACKS) BUT WE MUST MOVE ON TO MUSHINESS BETWEEN PIETRO AND ROGUE. ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU GUYS WANT?  
  
THE WAR IS STILL NOT OVER. THEY WILL STILL HAVE TO FIGHT, MIND YOU. JUST BECAUSE SAKHMET IS BEING SLIGHTLY FRIENDLY TO THE BROTHERHOOD DOESN'T MEAN IT'S OVER.  
  
NOPE. NOPE.  
  
ON ANOTHER NOTE, I MEANT NO OFFENCE TO ANYONE BY CALLING KITTY A VALLEY GIRL. IT'S HOW THE CHARACTER IS. JUST PORTRAYING HOW WANDA WOULD SEE KITTY. NO FLAMES OKAY.  
  
ANYWAY, KEEP IN MIND THE PROPHECY ABOUT ROGUE. THAT WAS WAY IN THE BEGINNING. THAT PROPHECY IS THE KEY TO HOW THIS STORY ENDS. HEHEHE.  
  
OH, I REALY CAN'T REMEMBER WHETHER PIETRO EVER KISSED ROGUE SO LET'S JUST PRETEND HE NEVER DID.  
  
ANYHOO, THAT'S ABOUT IT.  
  
TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. I LIVE AND WRITE FOR REVIEWS.  
  
SO GO ON ALREADY.  
  
THANKS. 


	18. chapter eighteen

A/N: THANKS FORT HE REVIEWS. IT TOOK A WHILE TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO COME UP WITH MUCH NEEDED FLUFF WITHOUT COMPLETELY GOING OFF THE STORYLINE.  
  
I JUST REALIZED THAT WE CAN'T HAVE TOO MUCH FLUFF OR THAT WHOLE EVIL THING WILL BE POINTLESS  
  
WELL, HERE GOES.  
  
ENJOY.  
  
~*~  
  
"I think Pietro offed himself." Todd continued to say as he aimlessly flipped the channels on TV. He was perched on the edge of one of the two single beds in the room while Bob sat next to him on the floor, munching on yet another bag of potato chips from the nearby vending machine.  
  
Kitty was lying on the bed trying her best not to yell at Todd to stop flipping the channels already.  
  
Kurt was on one of the side chairs, trying to keep as much distance between him and Wanda.  
  
Wanda and Lance were sitting on the other single bed playing candy poker. From the scowl on Wanda's face, it seemed that Lance had the upper hand.  
  
The door pushed open and Pietro walked in followed by Rogue, both of them soaked from the rain outside.  
  
"Guys, look who's here." Pietro declared as he ushered Rogue into the room.  
  
"Hey---uh Ro---Egyptian Goddess girl. Nice to see you again." Todd chuckled nervously as he leapt off the bed.  
  
Wanda sent him an I'm-going-make-you-choke-on-your-own-tongue-if-you-don't- relax glare.  
  
"So you decided to join the party after all?" Lance lightly asked Rogue as he abandoned his game with Wanda.  
  
"I'm not joining anything." Rogue replied petulantly as she crossed her arms in front of her.  
  
"Right then. Make yourself comfortable." He replied.  
  
"Come on. We don't bite." Pietro said to Rogue who seemed willing to stand by the door, soaking wet for the rest of the night.  
  
"Much." Lance muttered with an innocent grin.  
  
Rogue glared at him before walking straight to the bathroom.  
  
Wanda shrugged as she made herself comfortable on the bed. "She's moody."  
  
"I don't think it's wise to talk about 'her'." Todd whispered secretively. "She can hear us."  
  
Wanda scoffed. "Why are you so scared of her?"  
  
"Because she is freaking immortal and she has this agenda to kill everyone!" Todd hissed nervously.  
  
"She's still Rogue." Kitty pointed out.  
  
"Yo, reality check! The Rogue we knew did not pulverize cities and she sure as hell did not associate with the uber-evil Apocalypse and his Horsemen!" Todd continued to hiss.  
  
Pietro shook his head while Kurt just sighed.  
  
"So big question, why is she here?" Wanda asked as she quickly glanced at the bathroom door.  
  
Pietro shrugged his shoulders. "Don't ask me."  
  
"Do you have a death wish?" Todd hissed again at Pietro. "She could strangle us or burn the whole place while we sleep!"  
  
"Toad, if you don't stop panicking right now, I am going to make you wish that she strangle you already!" Wanda warned dangerously. "She's not going to kill us. She's had every opportunity to do so. So, why don't we all relax?"  
  
"But what happened to her?" Kurt finally spoke. Wanda quickly sent him a glare before proceeding to ignore him.  
  
"I found her in front of the house." Pietro explained silently. "Guys, can this wait? I'm beat."  
  
"My bet is she has a plan." Lance declared and everyone looked at him disapprovingly. "Look, I know that we all want her back and I am glad that she's here. I just don't trust her reasons for being here."  
  
Rogue suddenly teleported into the room, looking all changed and dried. A few of them yelped. "I'm glad you guys are discussing about me." She said sarcastically.  
  
"We were just-"  
  
"Save it. I don't give a damn about what any of you do or say about me." Rogue said as she lifted one hand to silence the other girl.  
  
"How'd you change?" Pietro asked curiously as he looked at her black leather outfit which seemed to resemble Wanda's.  
  
"Unlimited and assorted forms of power. If you don't get that, it's your loss." She replied snappily.  
  
"Cop-out." Wanda said jokingly. Rogue sent Wanda one of her trademark glares but the Scarlet Witch remained to look amused.  
  
"So what exactly is this? A slumber party?" Rogue asked as she scanned the rather cramped room.  
  
"There are other rooms. The humans abandoned the place after the uh-- attack." Lance explained.  
  
"Speaking of which, I'm going to bed." Kitty declared with a yawn as she swung her legs to the side of the bed.  
  
"Me too." Kurt announced as he followed Kitty out of the room.  
  
"No funny business, children." Toad piped and Kitty rolled her eyes tiredly.  
  
"Good night everyone. Rogue." Kitty exclaimed as she passed the other girl.  
  
She received a few mumbled good nights and see yous as a response. Just as Kurt and Kitty disappeared from the room, Wanda stretched her arms and decided to go as well.  
  
"Fred already left crumbs all over the floor so I'm heading over to a cleaner room." Wanda declared.  
  
"Me too. Wait up." Lance exclaimed.  
  
"Alvers, if you touch my woman-"  
  
"Toad! Do you want to live to see tomorrow?" Wanda exclaimed furiously, making some objects in the room shake.  
  
"Sweet-"  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"But-"  
  
"I'm going to kill you if you say one more thing!" Wanda screeched.  
  
"Okay, let's go." Lance interjected as he pulled the fuming Wanda out of the room, sending apologetic looks to Pietro and Rogue.  
  
Pietro looked partly amused and slightly concerned while Rogue continued to look uninterested.  
  
"So are you guys staying?" Fred asked curiously as he dug into the bag of potato.  
  
"Well, since everyone's gone, we might as well leave too." Pietro declared.  
  
"Alright."  
  
Rogue followed him out without another word. "So, I'm guessing we're roomies." Pietro announced after he closed the door to Todd and Fred's room.  
  
Rogue raised and eyebrow. "Excuse me?"  
  
"I only saw five rooms in the motel. Everything else has been burned to the ground since well--you know. It's a miracle how this place has electricity and running water." Pietro explained. "Anyway, there are only two beds in each room. So we're stuck together."  
  
"I don't think so." She replied stubbornly.  
  
"Well, I do. Everyone else has someone in their room. There is no reason as to why I can't sleep in a vacant bed in the same room as you." He insisted.  
  
"Because I decided that you're not going to!" She exclaimed stubbornly.  
  
"What are you scared of?" He challenged.  
  
Rogue folded her arms. "I'm not scared of anything." Rogue replied coldly.  
  
"That's what I thought. Now let's go." Pietro replied triumphantly.  
  
They finally found their designated room which was secluded from the others due to the fact that either the Horsemen or Sakhmet incinerated half of the place.  
  
Pietro pushed the door open and it creaked just as the lights overhead flickered slightly.  
  
"You have to be kidding me!" Rogue groaned in disbelief as she stared wide eyed at the pink room with the large bed in the middle.  
  
"Honeymoon suite. I think it's trying to tell us something." Pietro chuckled as he walked in and flopped on the bed.  
  
"This is not funny!" Rogue protested as she slammed the door. She glared at the dizzying pink room. The walls were covered in cheap pink wall paper and the carpet and curtains matched as well.  
  
The bed, which stood in the middle of the room, was pink as well, as expected. The covers were made in a satiny material with a nice heart shaped pillow in middle.  
  
The bed looked as if it should be rotating and emitting corny love songs from a hidden stereo.  
  
Pietro looked overly bright as he sat amidst the pink interior.  
  
"If you're thinking of demolishing the whole place, I suggest you reconsider that. It's still raining outside and we have no place to sleep in." He replied casually as he kicked off his boots. "Unless of course one of your powers include being able to build a house."  
  
"Take the couch." She ordered.  
  
"Uh what couch?" He asked as he removed his jacket.  
  
"That! Now move." Rogue said firmly.  
  
"If I had a dog, I wouldn't even let it sleep on that thing." He said in disgust as he eyed the death trap looking 'couch' that could only fit one person. "The floor looks more comfortable than that."  
  
"Then sleep on the floor." She declared.  
  
"No." He said firmly as he made himself comfortable.  
  
"That's my bed." She argued, still rooted on her spot.  
  
"It doesn't have your name written on it." He retorted. "Now you have two choices. You can either stand there all night or you can get comfortable and get some sleep on the bed."  
  
"Do not test my patience." She said as she began to tap her foot.  
  
"I'm not doing anything." He replied. "What is so difficult about this situation? If you don't like it then go back home."  
  
Rogue sighed sharply, kicked her boots and gritted her teeth. "I'll make you pay for this." She grumbled as she angrily laid on the bed.  
  
"Where have I heard that before?" Pietro said disbelievingly as placed his hands on the back of his head and looked up at the mirror on the ceiling. "Ooh, look. A mirror. Kinky."  
  
Rogue continued to groan angrily. "There is a line dividing this bed. One side is mine and the other is yours. Cross it and you'll never have children." She warned him.  
  
"If we survive the oncoming war, isn't that right?" He whispered as he continued to stare at his reflection on the mirror.  
  
"Whatever." She said as she tugged the blanket for more coverage and proceeded to face away from him. She continued to scowl until the silence became unbearable.  
  
Suddenly the bed began to vibrate and she jerked, slightly startled.  
  
"I found the button." Pietro explained cheerfully as he pointed at where it was.  
  
Rogue began to seethe and flames formed around her fists. "Turn. It. Off." She said dangerously, looking ready to attack him.  
  
Pietro raised his hands in mock surrender and then pressed the button again. The vibrating stopped and a few minutes later, Rogue calmed down. "If you want to make it out of this bedroom in one piece, don't do anything to piss me off more than I already am!"  
  
"Okay, jeez."  
  
She mumbled something under her breath before resuming her previous position.  
  
Pietro turned the lights off and did the same as he got under the covers and stared at the pink wall on his side. They were finally together on the same bed and Rogue was a heartbeat away from killing him and anyone else within a one block radius.  
  
Some fantasy come true.  
  
Rogue stared at the window as the raindrops made little patterns on the glass. She was still fuming at Pietro's stubbornness about the bed and everything else. But it wasn't really that, that irritated her. It was the fact that she was alone for the first time in this life and people seemed to be less afraid of her. They treated her like she was one of them. Like she was just a mere mortal.  
  
They had no regard for her power. That irked her.  
  
Rogue calmed herself down as weariness got the better of her. She let out a sigh as she finally relaxed.  
  
She heard something click and a familiar tune played but she was suddenly too tired to protest or tell Pietro to stop the music. So Rogue let it drone on, soothing her as she fell deeper into sleep.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Pietro knew that Rogue was asleep once her body relaxed and her breathing became even.  
  
At least she didn't complain about the music, he thought to himself. He had turned it on, hoping to drown out the tense silence in the room and luckily, Rogue made move to mutilate him or torch anything near her.  
  
Pietro turned so that he would be lying on his back and he could keep a watchful eye on Rogue.  
  
He noted how peaceful she looked, how harmless even. Rogue looked the same except for the absence of white make up and short hair. Her skin was richer now, a slight hint of tan on it and her hair was longer than he could imagine. The two white streaks still remained; a reminder of the past.  
  
Pietro wondered if he would ever get her back-that old Rogue who seemed fragile, who had allowed him to come close enough, closer than she let most people.  
  
He missed the girl he used to know. He missed being able to stand in the same room with her and just look at her without getting a snappy remark or a death threat every two seconds. He missed the vulnerable, lonely Rogue who came to the Brotherhood because they could relate to her. She missed her laughter which was so seldom witnessed by anyone.  
  
This new one was full of fire and hate embedded in her mind by Apocalypse and fueled by the betrayal in her past life. She was cruel and angry at the world, having no disregard for life, human or otherwise. This 'Sakhmet' was created solely to rule over everyone, and if not, to destroy anything and everything in its path.  
  
Pietro sighed. At least with the old Rogue, he stood a chance, no matter how slim it may have been.  
  
Just as he began to fall asleep with his mind still filled with thoughts of Rogue, he heard her become restless.  
  
She was dreaming, Pietro realized. "Nightmare." He sleepily corrected, hoping that the nightmare would subside and Rogue would calm down again.  
  
But the nightmare remained and Rogue began to whimper in her sleep. Slightly concerned, he sat up to shake her out of it. There were tears on the corner of her eyes and Pietro frowned.  
  
Not knowing what else to do, Pietro wrapped his arm around her and drew her closer. He waited for her to snap her eyes open and make good with her threat to kill him if he crossed the 'line'.  
  
But nothing happened. Rogue remained asleep and Pietro relaxed his muscles. He assumed that the nightmare had gone. His arms tightened around her. He could her breathing against his and it made him shiver slightly.  
  
He brought his hand up to brush a stray hair from Rogue's face.  
  
You're beautiful, he thought silently as he placed a kiss on her forehead. Closing his eyes to get much needed sleep, Pietro whispered, "I love you."  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: I TRIED TO PUT SOME FLUFF. I READ DID. SO THE WHOLE FLUFFY, EMOTIONAL THING WAS KIND OF ONE SIDED. I REALLY COULDN'T HAVE ROGUE DO A 180. IT MUST BE GRADUAL TO MAKE IT BELIEVABLE.  
  
WELL, I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED IT AT LEAST.  
  
TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK.  
  
THANKS FOR READING. 


End file.
